The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has issued a firm reminder to all companies to comply with the legal obligation of maintaining an updated postal address, a critical requirement under Sections 111 and 112 of the Companies Act, Cap 106.

This call to action comes amidst growing concerns over the increasing number of companies that have failed to either provide or update their official postal addresses, an oversight that not only violates the law but also risks undermining the integrity of Uganda’s corporate registration system.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, by the Acting Principal Communication Officer at URSB, Mr. Denis Nabende, the Bureau emphasized that compliance is not optional.

“The provision of a postal address is not an administrative discretion but a legal requirement which URSB enforces,” Nabende said.

He further clarified that postal addresses are managed and issued by Posta Uganda, which remains the official means of communication between a registered company and the government. They play a critical role in ensuring legal and regulatory correspondence is delivered efficiently and documented properly.

According to URSB, no company is exempt from this requirement, and any changes to the law must go through the appropriate legislative process. Businesses, therefore, have a legal and civic duty to comply without delay.

“This is not merely a matter of paperwork. Accurate and up-to-date registration data is essential for good governance, access to credit, protection of intellectual property, and investor confidence,” Nabende noted.

Moureen Namubiru, a 29-year-old fashion designer in downtown Kampala who was trying to register her boutique, expressed concern that the UGX 100,000 fee for acquiring a virtual postal address is too high, especially for small start-ups and young entrepreneurs struggling to formalize their operations. She said that such a cost, though seemingly modest on paper, has a significant impact given the current economic climate and could discourage many from legalizing their businesses.

“We are already struggling with rent, licenses, taxes, and daily expenses. Adding UGX 100,000 just for an address I won’t even physically use is discouraging. It feels like the system isn’t built for people like us,” Namubiru said.

URSB’s efforts align with broader government reforms aimed at digitizing public services and improving transparency and accountability in the business sector. This is in line with the Companies Act, which mandates that a company must provide a postal address at the time of incorporation and report any subsequent changes to the Registrar of Companies. Failure to do so not only constitutes a breach of the law but can attract legal consequences, including fines, administrative sanctions, or even deregistration in extreme cases.