By Patrick Jaramogi

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) will get a substantive executive director in a week’s time, trade minister Amelia Kyambadde said on Monday.

The new standards watchdog chief comes at a crucial time when the body is set to move to its new sh45b headquarters under construction on plots 2-12 at Bypass Link Bweyogerere.

Kyambadde who visited the construction works at the four-level structure pointed out that the delay to appoint a new executive director after Dr. Terry Kahuma was fired, was due to lack of council.

“The issue of executive director has been pending for some time now, but it has been sorted. We shall name the new ED in a week’s time,” she said.

Dr. Ben Manyindo, hitherto the deputy executive director, has been the acting executive director since Kahuma left after close to a decade of service.

Kyambadde said after the construction of the UNBS headquarters, the next step will be to increase staffing at the understaffed body.

“We had to set our priorities right. UNBS will now embark on serious staff recruitment and also amend the 1963 weights and measures Act,” she said.