The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) joined the global community to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day 2026, using the occasion to highlight the importance of protecting creativity, talent, and innovation within Uganda’s growing sports industry.
Held at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre in Kololo, the event brought together policymakers, innovators, students, broadcasters, and sports leaders to discuss how intellectual property can help athletes, creators, and organisations gain economic value from their ideas and achievements.
The celebrations were held under the theme “IP and Sports: Set, Ready, Innovate,” focusing on the role of intellectual property rights in protecting brands, encouraging creativity, and creating opportunities within the sports ecosystem.
Chief Guest Kedrace Turyagyenda said the government’s move towards a competence-based education system is aimed at promoting practical skills, creativity, and innovation among learners, adding that initiatives supporting intellectual property awareness in schools are essential for nurturing future innovators.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Robert Kasande praised URSB’s efforts in strengthening Uganda’s intellectual property framework, saying effective legal systems are important in ensuring innovations contribute to economic development.
URSB Board Chairman Francis Butagira said the institution remains committed to empowering creators and improving intellectual property systems as Uganda works towards achieving sustainable economic growth and middle-income status.
Registrar General Mercy K. Kainobwisho emphasized that talent alone is not enough, especially in sports, noting that intellectual property enables athletes, clubs, and creatives to protect their brands, commercialise their ideas, and benefit from their efforts.
Representatives from the sports sector, including leaders from the National Council of Sports and the Federation of Uganda Football Associations, attended the event, which also featured a university moot court competition on intellectual property law, with Islamic University in Uganda and Uganda Christian University reaching the final stage.
