HR Practitioners Push for Council to Regulate Profession in Uganda
Members of the Human resource Managers’ Association of Uganda have vehemently defended the need for the enactment of a law to regulate Human Resource management to ensure the productivity and welfare of employees in the country.
Ronald Bbosa said that the Bill will create a council that regulates the Human Resource practice in the country, which will ensure professionalism in the different workplaces.
Interfacing with the lawmakers led by Pius Wakabi, the Vice Chairperson of the Public Service and local government committee of parliament, said that the absence of professionals in the positions of Human Resource threatens the desired targets and goals of Human Resource in different employing organisations.
He is optimistic that the enactment of the HR management law would continuously check the irregularities that undermine the rights of employees and make the right decisions to protect people’s careers.
“The proposed bill seeks to regulate Human Resource (HR) professionals in Uganda, ensuring that only certified and licensed individuals manage the workforce. A governing council will oversee annual licensing to promote professionalism, accountability, and proper workplace practices,”-Bbosa noted
He explained that the law aims to align HR with other regulated professions, enhance foreign investment confidence, and support government efforts to professionalize different sectors.
However, Patrick Isingoma, Hoima City MP, expressed reservations about the bill saying that the bill is not necessarily because of the lack of spirit de call adding that it is only a creation of a council, which he described as an eating club.
Responding to Isingoma’s concerns that this bill is here to create another expense for the taxpayer, Bbosa clarified that the bill is not just about HR professionals but also about protecting employees by fostering orderly, organized, and career-conscious work environments.
Naluyima expressed commitment to the approve the Human Resource Management Professional Bill 2025, to curb the abuse of the Human Resource positions by investors and the proprietors of private organisations that fill these positions with unqualified relatives that frustrate the employees.
The Wakiso District Woman MP highlighted the challenge of unqualified individuals occupying professional roles, noting that many organizations bypass trained managers in favor of relatives, which often frustrates staff.
She stressed that human resource management should be handled by professionals with the right expertise.
Naluyima further called on Ugandans to actively share their experiences and ideas about how they are being treated in workplaces.
“Public input is crucial in shaping a comprehensive human resource management bill that will address current challenges and ensure professionalism, fairness, and effective management in organizations across the country,” Naluyima concluded
Wakabi, who is also a Member of Parliament, Bughaya County, Hoima, said that the draft law seeks to establish a council that will certify Human Resource Managers on an annual basis as a way of regulating Human Resource management practice and set professional Standards.
Wakabi stressed that the HR managers’ council will be answerable to the council, which implies that even organizations operating without professional HR managers will be compelled to have their managers work in consultation with certified HR managers, a scenario similar to the operations of pharmacists and architects.
