Kampala, Uganda – The Government of Uganda successfully concluded a three-day working visit by the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Daren Tang, undertaken at the invitation of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The visit marked a strategic milestone, being the first official mission to Uganda by a WIPO Director General, and signaled growing international confidence in Uganda’s policy direction on innovation, intellectual property (IP) governance, and the knowledge economy.
Mr. Tang arrived at Entebbe International Airport and was accorded a cultural reception that underscored Uganda’s national identity, stability, and openness. The Director General observed that the visit coincided with Uganda’s deliberate shift toward a high-value growth model in which innovation, intellectual assets, digital transformation, and commercialization complemented traditional sectors such as agriculture, minerals, and natural resources.
On the second day, Mr. Tang held high-level policy engagements with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao. The discussions emphasised Uganda’s repositioning of intellectual property from a technical legal function to a strategic economic instrument that supports private sector growth, SMEs, startups, and research commercialization. The Minister highlighted ongoing legal and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening investor confidence, protecting creators, and ensuring predictable IP governance aligned with global standards.
The Director General later met with leadership at the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, where discussions focused on building an integrated national innovation ecosystem. Priority areas included technology transfer, research-to-market pathways, expansion of Technology and Innovation Support Centers, and alignment of innovation policy with national development planning. Mr. Tang commended Uganda’s progress in institutional coordination and reaffirmed WIPO’s readiness to support innovation financing readiness, deep-tech development, and smart agriculture.
The day concluded at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Mr. Tang was received by the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, representing H.E. the President. The engagement brought together senior officials from the justice, innovation, and economic sectors, underscoring Uganda’s whole-of-government approach to commercialising intellectual property, leveraging its youthful workforce, and integrating IP into broader investment and industrial strategies.
The final day featured a national innovation exhibition hosted by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, showcasing innovations from schools, universities, SMEs, and community enterprises. Mr. Tang launched the “IP in Schools Programme,” reinforcing Uganda’s long-term human capital strategy and future innovation pipeline. In his concluding remarks, the Director General noted that Uganda’s policy coherence, institutional reforms, and demographic dividend positioned the country as an emerging regional hub for innovation-led investment. The visit reaffirmed a shared commitment between Uganda and WIPO to strengthen IP frameworks, enhance commercialisation, and align innovation with Vision 2040 and global development priorities.
