Africa-Press – Uganda. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Uganda has announced a strengthened partnership with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) to advance professionalism, ethical standards, and global competitiveness across Uganda’s capital markets.
This new phase of cooperation introduces mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for all market practitioners, effective 18 November 2025.
Under the programme, every practitioner in the capital markets industry is required to complete a prescribed number of annual training hours through CISI’s international learning platform, which provides live webinars, CPD tracking tools, professional forums, on-demand videos via CISI TV, and refresher e-learning modules.
CMA Chief Executive Officer, Josephine Okui Ossiya, said the initiative represents a major step toward strengthening industry standards.
“The introduction of CPD marks a significant milestone in our efforts to entrench professionalism and integrity within Uganda’s capital markets,” she said.
“By providing our practitioners with access to CISI’s global learning resources, we are ensuring that they remain abreast of emerging trends and international best practices. Continuous learning is essential in today’s dynamic financial environment.”
Ossiya emphasized the link between investor confidence and practitioner competence and ethics.
“Investors must be able to trust you — no one will give you their money if they do not trust you. Our focus is professionalism and integrity, because these are the foundations of strong investor confidence.”
CISI, a global professional body with 54,000 members in more than 100 countries, stated that the programme will align Uganda with international regulatory standards.
Kevin Moore, CISI Executive Director for Membership & Business Development, highlighted the importance of lifelong learning in modern financial markets.
“We are committed to working with the CMA to support the rollout of this professionalism programme. Raising standards, skills, and knowledge is vital to building a trusted and professional sector. Practitioners must be equipped for careers rooted in lifelong learning, enabling them to lead with integrity in a fast-evolving financial landscape,” he said.
The CMA outlined a structured rollout of the new CPD obligations. Mandatory CPD officially takes effect on 18 November 2025, with a transitional period during the calendar year 2026 for practitioners already certified under the Securities Industry Certification Programme (SICP).
The deadline for all market participants to meet CPD requirements for the 2026/27 year is 30 June 2027, and CPD compliance will become a condition for licence renewal starting 1 January 2028.
CMA Director for Market Supervision, Denis Kizito, explained that the transitional period ensures industry-wide clarity and readiness.
“We are moving with clarity and decisiveness. Compliance will begin, and starting 1 January 2028, CPD will form part of the representative licence renewal requirements,” he said.
Kizito noted that the current uptake of CISI qualifications demonstrates momentum toward professionalism.
“Of the 250 practitioners who have attempted CISI qualifications, 110 have completed Level 1, and 60 have completed Level 2. About 80 people are now affiliates in the market — but we still have catching up to do.”
This enhanced collaboration builds on a 2018 agreement that introduced CISI certification for capital market professionals in Uganda. The new phase focuses on maintaining up-to-date knowledge, strengthening ethics, and preparing practitioners for emerging market developments such as digital finance and cross-border investment flows.
CISI Regional Representative for East Africa, Kimacia Gitau, underscored the programme’s global focus.
“We are not in the business of selling exams — we are in the business of building professionalism. Professionalism rests on three pillars: knowledge, skills through CPD, and integrity. This programme ensures Ugandan practitioners remain globally competitive.”
CMA Director for Research & Market Development, Dickson Ssembuya, urged practitioners to fully embrace the new learning modules.
“Once a module has been reviewed, it will be cascaded across the entire market. We look forward to the successful implementation of this module this year and in the future,” he said.
The CMA will issue further guidance detailing the CPD framework, exemptions, and transitional arrangements to support a smooth implementation across the sector.
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