The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Francis Mwebesa, has officially inaugurated the 10th National Standards Council (NSC), the governing body of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).
The ceremony, held at the Kampala Serena Hotel on July 2, 2025, marked the beginning of a new chapter for the standards agency tasked with promoting product quality and safety across Uganda.
In his keynote address, Minister Mwebesa urged the new board to enhance the role of standards in protecting consumers and strengthening Uganda’s trade capacity.
“I implore you to help businesses comply with standards, through capacity-building programs,” he said.
He added, “You must also conduct regular factory checks where goods are made to ensure that they meet the relevant standards before they are placed on the market.”
He further emphasized the importance of increasing public awareness on certified products and aligning UNBS operations with national development initiatives such as the Parish Development Model and the upcoming National Development Plan IV.
Minister of State for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, echoed similar sentiments, noting that adherence to standards is critical to Uganda’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.
“We must improve our trade through standardisation to foster export promotion, import substitution, and industrialisation,”
Gen. Mbadi said. He called for a robust quality assurance framework that can inspire confidence in Ugandan-made goods.
The newly appointed chairperson of the council, Eng. James Kalibbala, pledged to restore public confidence in the institution while strengthening partnerships across government and private sectors.
“We are committed to repositioning UNBS as a professional and reliable institution that supports the national agenda,” Kalibbala said, adding that rebuilding the organisation’s image would be a priority under his leadership.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director of UNBS, Eng. James Kasigwa who also serves as Secretary to the Council, reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to supporting local enterprises, especially small and medium-sized businesses.
“We are going to hand-hold, train, and empower our local enterprises, especially start-ups and MSMEs, to comply with standards,” he said.
He noted that standards compliance is not just a regulatory requirement, but a gateway to unlocking market access, improving product value, and driving industrial growth.
The newly constituted board comes at a critical time as Uganda intensifies efforts to improve the quality of its locally produced goods and attract international trade opportunities. With rising concerns over counterfeit products and substandard imports, the council’s leadership is expected to play a pivotal role in policy enforcement and public education around product certification.
As Uganda aims to become a regional trade powerhouse, the work of the 10th National Standards Council will be instrumental in building a trusted ecosystem of quality, safety, and competitiveness for Ugandan goods and services.
