The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has deregistered 37,702 companies from the national register over failure to comply with statutory filing requirements for a continuous period of five years, in one of the largest corporate clean-up exercises in recent years.
The move, announced in a public notice issued by URSB, follows earlier warnings to affected firms to regularise their compliance, including notices published on July 20, 2023, August 14, 2023, and August 30, 2023, in line with provisions of the Companies Act, Cap. 106.
“Pursuant to Section 130(6) of the Companies Act, Cap.106 and by notices dated 20th July 2023, 14th August 2023 and 30th August 2023, the Registrar of Companies struck some companies off the register for failure to file annual returns for a period of five years,” the bureau stated.
URSB further noted that companies struck off were previously given a 12-month window within which they could apply for restoration, provided they submitted outstanding annual returns and met reinstatement requirements.
However, those who failed to comply within the stipulated period have now been permanently removed from the register.
The deregistration exercise is part of URSB’s ongoing enforcement drive aimed at improving corporate compliance, cleaning up the national companies register, and ensuring that only active and properly regulated businesses remain legally recognised.
Under Ugandan corporate law, registered companies are required to file annual returns to maintain their legal standing. Failure to comply for an extended period may lead to striking off and eventual deregistration.
URSB also notes that operating a struck-off company constitutes an offence, with penalties reportedly reaching up to Shs 4 million per day, underscoring the legal risks faced by non-compliant entities.
Affected companies may still apply for reinstatement by clearing outstanding filings and submitting restoration applications through the online business registration system.
This latest action comes less than a year after URSB deregistered 50,003 non-compliant companies in a similar enforcement exercise targeting firms that had failed to file annual returns for five consecutive years.
URSB maintains that such measures are intended to strengthen transparency, improve data integrity in the business register, and enforce Uganda’s corporate governance framework.