Mercy Kainobwisho’s Strategic Reforms at URSB Put Registration Mafias & Night Dancers on Notice

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Uganda Registration Services Bureau Registrar General Mercy Kainobwisho has overseen a broad reform drive since taking office in December 2020, aimed at modernising the agency and reducing opportunities for manipulation in company and other registrations. The article says she inherited a system still relying heavily on manual processes and fragmented records, and that the response has been to build tighter controls, clearer records and more transparent ownership information.

According to the report, one major focus has been beneficial ownership transparency, which helps show who ultimately owns or controls companies and partnerships. Nile Post says these changes supported Uganda’s efforts to meet anti-money laundering and counter-financing standards and formed part of the country’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list. The piece also highlights stronger handling of suspected fraudulent registrations, misrepresentation and other compliance failures, alongside legal and enforcement work intended to protect public registers.

The article says URSB has also moved much of its work onto digital systems, including online business registration and electronic document management. It reports faster turnaround times for some services, along with growth in registrations and non-tax revenue over the five-year period covered by the bureau’s performance report. Beyond technology, the piece notes staff expansion, training, new management systems and the creation of a centralised register for certain non-individual entities. In context, these reforms reflect a wider push in public administration to improve accountability, service delivery and regulatory oversight.