Team size: 24
Q&A
What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?
We have successfully supported the implementation of the provisions of the recent amendments to the NSSF Act, now Cap 230,which were assented to by His Excellency the President of Uganda in January 2022. One of the fundamental changes was the introduction of voluntary contributions (hence expanding the previous coverage of mandatory contributions for employees in the formal sector). Together with our colleagues at the Fund, we are committed to the achievement of the new Fund strategy named Vision 2035 with the triple objectives of increasing coverage to 50% of workers in Uganda (15 million contributors), UGX 80Trillion Assets Under Management, and 95% Member Satisfaction ( Customers and Staff) by 2035. As a Department we have specifically contributed to the creation of the enabling Regulations as well as participated in stakeholder and both existing and potential members’ sensitisation leading to the onboarding of new members, as well as top up contributions for existing mandatory contributors.
We have intensified our stakeholder centred and driven approach to employer compliance enforcement involving key stakeholders in the recovery process including the Criminal Investigations Department of the Uganda Police who assist us with evidence gathering and related training for Fund staff, the Directorate of Public Prosecution for Fund prosecutors’ capacity enhancement as well as training of staff involved in the recovery process, to the Judiciary who handle defaulting employers’ cases. This concerted effort ensures that the Fund is able to recover workers’ contributions from defaulting employers hence enabling them save for their future. The recovery process is also a deterrent to potential defaulters which contributes to improved employer compliance.
How is your legal function leveraging technology to enhance efficiency in areas such as contract management and compliance monitoring?
Supported by our colleagues in the Technology Enterprise Solutions team, we have adopted a range of internally developed legal technology solutions designed to enhance efficiency, strengthen compliance, and support informed decision-making across the Fund.
Our contract management system provides a secure, role-based platform for managing the Fund’s contractual obligations throughout the entire contract lifecycle, from inception to archival. The system incorporates standardised templates, dynamic fields, and a secure execution platform, ensuring consistency, transparency, and accountability in the contracting process. Importantly, it has been designed to align with the requirements of the Public Procurement and Disposal Authority Act and its associated regulations, enabling ongoing compliance as legislative and regulatory frameworks evolve.
The compliance universe is a comprehensive repository of all legislation applicable to the Fund. It enables the legal team to identify, extract, and monitor compliance obligations efficiently, ensuring effective implementation across the organisation. In addition, the tool provides visibility into legislative developments and proposed regulatory changes, allowing the Fund to actively participate in consultation processes and advocate for frameworks that support its mandate and operational objectives.
The Doxa Legal AI Assistant is an internally developed tool that enables both the Legal Team and Fund staff to access relevant legal information quickly and efficiently. The legal department played a key role in developing the tool’s foundational knowledge base by contributing source documents, reference materials, and cross-references to publicly available legal resources. This collaborative approach continues to enhance the platform’s capabilities, ensuring its knowledge base grows in both depth and relevance over time.
Our litigation management tool provides real-time visibility into the Fund’s litigation portfolio, enabling the legal team to monitor matters effectively, track developments, and take timely action when required. By supporting strategic case management and early intervention, the tool helps reduce risk, optimise resource allocation, and improve overall efficiency in the management of disputes.
Beyond technology adoption, we remain committed to the continuous development of our legal team. We actively pursue training and professional development opportunities to ensure our lawyers remain informed of emerging legal technology trends, industry best practices, and innovative solutions, allowing us to leverage new tools and approaches wherever they can add value to the Fund and its stakeholders.
In light of increasing regulatory scrutiny across sectors in East Africa, how are you adapting your compliance frameworks to stay ahead of change?
The NSSF Act is the first compliance standard which establishes the framework through which the Fund must comply. We ensure that all staff at the Fund are aware of the compliance obligations under this Act through structured sensitisation and legal aid clinics, as well as proffering legal advice on specific business initiatives to ensure due compliance. Like all laws, this law is not cast in stone. When it was evident that the regime the Fund was operating under was no longer sufficient to enable the Fund effectively to fulfil its mandate to the workers of Uganda to enable them save for their retirement, the policymakers and stakeholders rightly determined, and amendment of the law was due. As mentioned above, His Excellency assented to the amendments to the law which introduced a key change to enable the Fund cover both the formal and informal sectors.
Adoption of best practises through benchmarks with both international and local sectors like the International Social Security Association Governance Guidelines, the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority Retirement Benefits Sector standards as applicable, the Bank of Uganda and Capital Markets Authority Governance Standards, amongst others. The Fund monitors the changes in these spaces and adopts them as applicable within its Compliance framework .
Exposing the Fund to public professional scrutiny through subjecting the Fund’s financial, accounting and sustainability statements like the Financial Reporting Awards organised by the Institute of Public Institution of Uganda in partnership with the Capital Markets Authority, the Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda Awards, the South African Corporate Sustainability Governance Awards amongst others. The feedback from the highly professional panels of judges enables the Fund continuously to improve its compliance frameworks.
Continuous Board and Management exposure to Corporate Governance training in local and international fora from which best practises are learned from peers through networking and sharing during these sessions. These learnings have enabled the Board and Management make necessary enhancements to its policies, procedures, and controls.
What strategies has your legal team adopted to mitigate legal and regulatory risks in a rapidly evolving business and political environment?
Stakeholder engagements: The Fund has carefully mapped its stakeholders to ensure that we are closely collaborating with them as key partners in the identification of risks in the various spheres that could affect the Fund in the fulfilment its mandate. The legal team has specific stakeholders it partners like the Judiciary, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the enforcements of compliance for employers, the Attorney General, Uganda Police (CID), and others.
Proactive monitoring of the legal environment in which the Fund operates to identify emerging risks and, together with the concerned stakeholders, agree the practical mitigants.
Ensuring staff are sensitized about the Fund’s legal environment so they can proactively identify prevalent or potential and emerging legal risks in their respective spaces for timely intervention.
