KAMPALA – In a bid to enforce compliance with the Companies Act, 2012, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has deregistered 10,001 companies that failed to apply for reinstatement after being struck off ¹. This move follows the striking off of 297,697 companies in 2023 for failing to file annual returns for five consecutive years.
The deregistered companies were officially removed from the register through a Notice of Deregistration issued on February 7, 2025. This means that these companies legally cease to exist and their names will become available for use by others after 12 months.
In a statement, URSB says operating a struck-off company is considered an offense, punishable by a fine of up to UGX 4 million per day, as per Regulation 41 of the Companies Regulations, 2023. URSB has warned the public, including government ministries, departments, agencies, financial institutions, and businesses, against transacting with struck-off or deregistered companies.
“Companies that remain struck off are urged to apply for reinstatement immediately to avoid permanent deregistration. Reinstatement applications must be submitted via the Online Business Registration System (OBRS) and require filing outstanding annual returns.”
Full list of affected companies is available on the URSB website (www.ursb.go.ug). URSB has reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring company records and compliance, ensuring that businesses adhere to their statutory obligations.
In recent years, URSB has deregistered thousands of companies for non-compliance, including 875 companies in 2024 and 186,000 companies in 2023.
