The Board and top management of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) have agreed to cooperate with ongoing investigations into issues surrounding the institution, while also seeking an opportunity to meet President Yoweri Museveni and present their side of the story.
The development was announced by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao following a meeting with the URSB Board and top management on August 18, 2026. The meeting was held to brief the officials on measures taken following a directive from President Museveni in a letter dated July 24, 2026.
According to Mao, the meeting was also intended to ensure that URSB continues providing its services without interruption despite the ongoing investigations. He urged the Board and management to remain focused on their statutory responsibilities, maintain institutional stability and boost staff morale.
Mao said the meeting resolved that the URSB leadership should fully cooperate with investigators and provide all necessary institutional records. The officials were also directed to support competent state authorities involved in the investigations while ensuring that the public continues to access URSB services.
The Minister said he had earlier convened a meeting with the senior management of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on August 12. The meeting was attended by the Attorney General, Permanent Secretary, Solicitor General and Deputy Solicitor General.
During that meeting, officials discussed concerns surrounding URSB after a senior staff member raised the matter with the Attorney General. Mao said the Attorney General explained how the matter was escalated to President Museveni, leading to the directives contained in the President’s July 24 letter.
Following consultations with the URSB Board Chairman, Mao said he took steps to send several senior URSB officials on mandatory leave to protect the integrity of the investigations.
Those sent on mandatory leave include Registrar General Mercy K. Kainobwisho, Deputy Registrar General Alex Anganya, Commissioner for ICT and Innovation Arthur Kwesiga, Commissioner for Registration Services Gilbert Agaba and Assistant Commissioner for Registration Services Walid Kule.
Mao said the mandatory leave will remain in place until the investigations are completed.
Despite the current controversy, the Minister defended URSB’s record, describing it as one of Uganda’s best-performing government agencies and a regional institution that has attracted interest from other countries.
He pointed to a benchmarking visit by a delegation from Malawi in April 2025 and said Uganda is now expected to send a team to Malawi to support the growth of its Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre.
Mao also highlighted URSB’s achievement of the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification in March 2026, saying it reflected the institution’s efforts to improve transparency, efficiency and service delivery.
The Minister further noted URSB’s role in implementing Uganda’s amended copyright law. He said the bureau’s newly established Copyright Department will help protect creatives against infringement, while a new Copyright Management System is expected to be launched soon.
He also credited URSB with playing an important role in Uganda’s efforts to leave the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The bureau worked with other government agencies to strengthen laws relating to companies and partnerships and improve access to beneficial ownership information.
Mao said Uganda’s removal from the FATF grey list in February 2024 was an important achievement, but warned that institutions such as URSB must continue maintaining compliance as Uganda prepares for a regional peer review by the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG).
The Minister also raised concerns about the way statutory bodies and their Boards should exercise their oversight and disciplinary responsibilities. He argued that internal processes should be respected and that appeals should generally come after the process leading to the decision has been completed.
Mao said he remains confident that URSB’s record will ultimately speak for the institution. However, he noted that some of the decisions taken in the current matter were made without giving the Board and management an opportunity to be heard.
For this reason, he said the government will seek an opportunity for the URSB Board and management to meet President Museveni and explain their position.
The meeting with the President, according to Mao, would also help address possible reputational risks facing URSB as an institution.
Meanwhile, the Board and management have been instructed to preserve all records, cooperate with investigators and ensure that URSB’s statutory services continue without disruption.
The Minister said the focus should now be on allowing investigations to proceed while protecting the stability and operations of an institution that plays a key role in business registration, intellectual property and Uganda’s wider economic activities.
