URSB Defends System Failures, Data Exposure as MPs Probe Shs1bn Financial Gap

What the report says

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has defended its handling of system reliability, data protection and service delivery before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), while MPs pressed officials over weaknesses in operations and a reported Shs1.1 billion gap in the agency’s financial statements, Nile Post reported. The session took place on Tuesday as URSB responded to issues raised in the Auditor General’s report for the year ended December 2025.

According to the report, lawmakers questioned prolonged downtime on the Online Business Registration System, exposure of personal data in registration records, continued manual filing in some cases and slow resolution of customer complaints. URSB, led by Acting Registrar General Ntale Mustapher, said it had improved its systems by expanding storage, adding backup power and taking on a second internet provider. The bureau also said it had obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification in December 2025 and introduced redacted forms to limit disclosure of sensitive information.

MPs remained unconvinced, arguing that the improvements had not fully translated into smoother public service. They also raised concerns about digital signature verification and the registry for security interests in movable property, including its coverage of asset types and integration with other systems. URSB said it was working with stakeholders, including NITA-U and the Ministry of Trade, on further upgrades.

The committee then turned to URSB’s finances, questioning increases in prepayments and goods-and-services spending, as well as a discrepancy between two figures for spending on property, plant and equipment. MPs also asked about the state’s investment in private firms, including Rocco Construction. The exchanges underscore continuing parliamentary scrutiny of both public service delivery and financial accountability at the bureau.