By James Alomu

The Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) has cautioned members of the public against ignoring gazetting requirements, warning that failure to publish legally required notices in the Uganda Gazette could invalidate decisions and expose individuals and institutions to legal consequences.

The warning was issued on Wednesday, August 19, during a public awareness clinic at Soroti Public Gardens aimed at educating residents about the Uganda Gazette, the gazetting process and the legal implications of non-compliance.

Uganda Gazette Editor Alice Nazziwa said the weekly publication is a legally recognised government publication through which laws, statutory notices and other information required by law are formally published.

Among the notices published in the Gazette are Acts of Parliament, legal notices, deed polls, special certificates of title, trademarks, school boards and school management committees.

“A gazette is a legal document. If the law requires you to gazette and you do not adhere to the law, then it means you are failing to comply with the law,” Nazziwa said.

She singled out school boards and school management committees, noting that the Education Act requires them to be gazetted before they begin carrying out their functions.

Nazziwa warned that decisions made by an improperly constituted board could have serious legal implications.

“If a school board is not gazetted as required by the law, it means that whatever decision they make for that school is null and void. It is actually illegal,” she said.
She added that head teachers have a responsibility to ensure their respective school boards and management committees are properly gazetted, warning that failure to comply could also have implications for their employment.

The UPPC official said the public awareness campaign is intended to address limited knowledge about the Gazette while also protecting members of the public from individuals who falsely claim to be UPPC officials or agents.

The corporation has moved its sensitisation campaign from the Busoga region to Teso and plans to extend the initiative to other parts of the country.
“Between 2024 and the last three years, there has been some progress but compliance is still low. That is why we want to ensure that people comply,” Nazziwa said.

She also encouraged people facing discrepancies in their names on official documents to use the gazetting process to legally correct or change their names.

According to Nazziwa, a deed poll is used for legal notices relating to changes or corrections of names.

She noted that discrepancies in official names can create difficulties when individuals seek government services and benefits, including pensions.

“If you want to add a name or correct a name, please come to us so we can help you have your name changed according to your wish,” she said.

Nazziwa said the Uganda Gazette is published every Friday, except when the scheduled publication date falls on a public holiday, in which case an Extraordinary Gazette may be issued earlier.

She said gazetting services are not free, noting that the current fee for gazetting a secondary school board is Shs650,000. Schools whose notices are published receive two complimentary copies, while individual copies of the Gazette cost Shs5,000.

Soroti Resident District Commissioner Haji Imran Muluga welcomed the UPPC outreach, saying that bringing gazetting services closer to the public would reduce the difficulties faced by residents who have previously had to travel to Kampala and Entebbe to access the services.

Muluga urged residents of Soroti and the wider Teso sub-region to use the clinic to seek clarification on gazetting requirements relating to political leaders, laws, name changes and other matters.

He said the initiative was particularly useful for people who had previously relied on lawyers to navigate the gazetting process.

“Services should be brought nearer to the people,” Muluga said.

He added that there were plans to establish regional services in Soroti City, which would make it easier for residents of neighbouring districts, including Kumi, Bukedea and Kapelebyong, to access UPPC services.

Muluga also encouraged local publishers and schools to explore opportunities to collaborate with UPPC in producing books and other publications, while urging journalists to help disseminate information about the corporation's services.

Some residents who attended the clinic said they had previously struggled to resolve discrepancies in their names and access government benefits.

Emulu Andrew, a farmer, said he learnt about the UPPC clinic through radio and attended after discovering that his mother had encountered difficulties because she shared names with another person.

“She hasn’t yet benefited from some grants like NSSF. That pushed me to come and inquire, and I have got the necessary guidance from UPPC,” he said.

Emulu said he was pleased to receive guidance before his mother reached retirement, allowing the family to begin the correction process early rather than waiting until she needed to access her benefits.

Another resident, Lona Ati, said she sought assistance after her retired nurse mother encountered difficulties accessing her benefits because the names on her appointment records differed from those on her national identity card.

“When I went to follow up on her grants, they told me she had mismatching names. But when I heard on radio about the UPPC, I came to get consultations and answers,” she said.

Ati said the outreach had provided her with the information needed to begin correcting the discrepancies.

The UPPC team said it would continue conducting public sensitisation activities in other regions as part of efforts to improve compliance with gazetting requirements, increase public understanding of the Uganda Gazette and protect citizens from fraudsters.