Director General's Office

Bemanya Twebaze is the Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO). He was elected to this position on November 17, 2020, during the Forty-Fourth Session of the Administrative Council of ARIPO. He officially assumed office on January 1, 2021.

Before taking up the role of Director General, Mr. Bemanya served as the Registrar General of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). During his tenure at URSB, he played a crucial role in managing Intellectual Property Rights Registrations, Business Registrations, Civil Registrations, Insolvency, and Corporate Rescue matters. He held this position from 2012 to 2020, demonstrating his extensive experience in legal and management domains, spanning over 28 years. Within Uganda, Mr. Bemanya has served as a Board Member of various institutions.

Mr. Bemanya is a lawyer by profession and holds an Honors Degree in Law from Makerere University. He also completed an Executive MBA from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) and obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre. Furthermore, he pursued professional development at the Harvard Kennedy School, USA, earning an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership.

Director General Bemanya has held several prestigious positions in intellectual property governance and administration. He has served as Chairman of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE) and the Administrative Council of ARIPO. Additionally, he presided over the Paris Union Assembly, the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property and was a Member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) IP Office of the Future Think Tank.

In December 2021, Managing IP, a UK-based magazine, recognized Mr. Bemanya's significant contributions to intellectual property law and practice by naming him among the 50 Most Influential People in Intellectual Property.

With his extensive legal and management expertise, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze is a respected leader in the field of intellectual property. He prioritizes the impactful advancement and protection of intellectual property rights in Africa.

As Director General, Mr. Bemanya is committed to transforming ARIPO into the preferred choice for intellectual property matters. Through the four pillars of the ARIPO Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which are: Strengthened and Harmonized Legal Framework; Growth Strategy and Sustainability; Intellectual Property Promotion; and Human Capital Development, he aims to spearhead intellectual property reforms that will accelerate development impact and position ARIPO at the centre of Africa’s socio-economic transformation.