UGANDA – Uganda has expanded its influence in African and international standardization following a series of elections at the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) General Assembly held in Zanzibar.
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) secured three leadership positions during the 31st ARSO General Assembly under the theme “Accelerating Fair and Just Trade in Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area through an African Coherent Regulatory Framework and Harmonised Standards.”
The UNBS Executive Director, Eng. James Kasigwa, was elected to represent Uganda on the ARSO Council for a three-year tenure starting July 2025 to June 2028.
ARSO was formed in 1977 by the Organization of African Unity (currently African Union) and UNECA to enhance Africa’s internal trade capacity, competitiveness, and consumer welfare through standardization.
The Council is a key policy organ overseeing ARSO’s activities and reports to the General Assembly.
Uganda was also voted to join ARSO’s Standards Management Committee (SMC), responsible for managing procedures for harmonizing African standards. Mr. Joel Peter Oryang, Head of Regional and International Liaison at UNBS, will represent Uganda on the SMC for the same tenure.
During the 72nd ARSO Council meeting, Uganda’s candidature was endorsed for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Council under Group 4 for the term 2026–2028.
Eng. Kasigwa will vie for the seat against Costa Rica during the ISO Annual Meeting scheduled for October 2025 in Kigali.
“Our key priority areas at ISO council include diversity, digital transformation, and engagement with policymakers. We need to amplify the African voice at the international level and adopt a common African position to policy decisions,” said Eng. Kasigwa.
ISO, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a global network of 173 national standards bodies that has developed over 25,000 standards across various fields since its establishment in 1946.
The endorsement positions Uganda to influence both continental and international standardization policies aligned with national and African development priorities, which could facilitate fair trade under frameworks such as the East African Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
UNBS gets news board
In related national developments, Uganda’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Francis Mwebesa, inaugurated the 10th National Standards Council (NSC), UNBS’ governing board, at a ceremony in Kampala.
Hon. Mwebesa urged the new board to prioritize improving the quality of locally manufactured goods to protect public health and the environment, and to support value addition initiatives aligned with the Parish Development Model and the National Development Plan IV.
The State Minister of Trade, Hon. Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, emphasized the importance of building strong quality infrastructure to support trade and government programs.
“UNBS is expected to help Uganda improve its trade through standardization to foster export promotion, import substitution, and industrialization,” said Gen. Mbadi.
The Chairperson of the new NSC, Eng. James Kalibbala, pledged to build on the legacy of previous boards and foster collaborations to restore UNBS’ corporate reputation.
Eng. Kasigwa, who was sworn in as Secretary to the Council, highlighted the bureau’s new value proposition of growing quality MSMEs through capacity building, standards awareness, certification, and market compliance support.
The newly inaugurated NSC members include Eng. James Kalibbala (Chairperson), Dr. John Patrick Kabayo (Vice Chairperson), Maj. Dr. Atwoki John Mathias Rusoke Tagaswiire (Ex-official), Mr. Ainebyona Denis (Ex-official), Ms. Hawa Nsubuga Lule (Member), Prof. Mnason Tweheyo (Member), Ms. Stella Nyapendi Chombo (Member), and Eng. James Kasigwa as Executive Director and Secretary.