The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its quasi-judicial mandate through specialized Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training for senior management and legal staff.
The hybrid training session, held at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre (UBFC) Auditorium, brought together leading legal experts to enhance the capacity of URSB officers in managing disputes within the Bureau’s expanding regulatory framework.
The initiative reflects URSB’s evolving role beyond registration services into a key institution within Uganda’s dispute resolution landscape. The Bureau administers more than 20 laws covering areas such as business registration, intellectual property, insolvency, receivership, and security interests, all of which increasingly require efficient and legally sound dispute resolution mechanisms.
Speaking at the opening of the training, Registrar General Mercy K. Kainobwisho said URSB registrars routinely make decisions with significant legal and commercial implications, making it necessary to strengthen internal dispute resolution capacity.
“ADR gives us better tools to ensure decisions are fair, efficient and legally sound,” Kainobwisho said, noting that effective dispute resolution is critical to improving service delivery and enhancing business confidence.
The training featured technical sessions led by Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire of the Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court, Dr. Henry Onoria of ALP East Africa, and Barbara Kilei of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Uganda.
Participants were equipped with practical skills in negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration within Uganda’s legal framework.
According to URSB, the training aligns with the Bureau’s strategic objective of strengthening institutional capacity, improving legal processes, and positioning Uganda as an attractive destination for investment through efficient dispute resolution.
ADR Gains Regional Recognition
URSB’s efforts to promote Alternative Dispute Resolution recently received regional recognition during a joint courtesy visit by the Chief Justice of Uganda, Flavian Zeija, and the Chief Justice of Zambia, Mumba Malila.
The visit formed part of engagements under the Africa Chief Justices’ ADR Forum and highlighted the growing importance of alternative justice systems in promoting access to justice and strengthening regional legal integration.
During the engagement at URSB headquarters in Kololo, the Chief Justices commended the Bureau’s efforts in advancing ADR as an effective mechanism for resolving disputes.
Justice Malila noted that ADR offers a faster, more cost-effective approach to dispute resolution while contributing to social harmony and reducing pressure on formal court systems.
URSB leadership used the occasion to reaffirm the Bureau’s commitment to strengthening its quasi-judicial functions and deepening collaboration with regional partners.
Kainobwisho revealed that URSB successfully resolved 89 disputes during the current financial year, demonstrating the growing effectiveness of its ADR mechanisms.
The Bureau says it remains committed to positioning itself as a modern and efficient institution that promotes business regulation, legal certainty, and effective dispute resolution in Uganda.