Standard Chartered Bank has announced a series of top leadership changes across its African operations, naming Nigerian banker Dalu Ajene as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Africa. The…
South Africa’s Nedbank Group has unveiled plans to acquire approximately 66% of the issued ordinary share capital of Kenya’s NCBA Group. The move is set to hand the Johannesburg-listed lender...
Uganda’s two largest mobile network operators, Airtel Uganda and MTN Uganda, are estimated to have lost between UGX 22.8 billion and UGX 24 billion in data revenues following the four-day…
Frank Molla, Managing Director for Africa at payments giant MDP, is a strong believer that books are quiet mentors and companions that steer leaders toward depth, courage, and beautifully human…
East African Breweries Plc (EABL) has announced the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Risper Ohaga, marking a significant leadership transition at the regional brewing giant at…
The High Court’s Commercial Division has granted businessman Thomson Ricky Rapa unconditional leave to defend himself in a high-stakes loan dispute with Ecobank. The ruling spotlights the handling of insurance-linked loan facilities by commercial banks. Presiding Judge Patience T.E. Rubagumya ruled that Rapa had presented bona fide triable issues deserving of a full hearing after he claimed that his UGX 180 million salary loan from Ecobank was insured against loss of income, a position the bank flatly denied. Background to the dispute Court documents show that Rapa applied for a salary-backed loan of UGX 180 million from Ecobank on March…
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Uganda’s agent banking industry has entered a new phase with latest data from Bank of Uganda painting a picture of a sector in full bloom. As of June 2025, the…
Uganda’s banking sector has cemented its recovery and resilience, posting a record UGX 1.9 trillion net profit for the year ended June 2025. This was a nearly an increase of…
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission has imposed a fine of USD 750,000 on global alcoholic beverages manufacturer Diageo Plc, the majority shareholder in East African Breweries Limited (EABL), for engaging in anti-competitive business practices across Uganda, Eswatini and Zambia. The ruling, contained in a 13-page decision issued on September 21, 2025, concluded that Diageo’s actions violated regional competition laws by restricting trade and distorting market dynamics within the COMESA region. The Commission’s decision follows a multi-year investigation into the company’s distribution and production agreements with local partners, which were found to contain clauses that…
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Payments through cheques in Uganda’s financial eco-system continues to decline as Bank of Uganda (BoU) intensifies efforts to promote digital and electronic payments. Latest data from the central bank shows that both volume and value of cheque transactions have dropped, reflecting a steady shift toward electronic funds transfers and mobile-based banking solutions. BoU data indicates that cheque transaction values fell by 3.6%, from UGX 4.8 trillion in the year to June 2024 to UGX 4.62 trillion in the same period in 2025. Similarly, the volume of cheques declined by 3.9%, from 1.05 million to 1.01 million transactions over the same…
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Despite the steady rise of mobile money, fintechs, and online banking, cash continues to dominate Uganda’s payment landscape. Bank of Uganda (BoU), in its latest currency and payment systems report, reveals that while digital channels are growing steadily, the Ugandan economy remains deeply reliant on physical currency for most day-to-day transactions. However, behind the continued dominance of cash lies a quiet but important shift; digital payments are steadily gaining traction, reflecting changing consumer habits, improved technology, and growing financial inclusion. Cash circulation keeps rising During the 2024/25 financial year, total currency in circulation increased by 9%,, from UGX 8.21 trillion…
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The billionaire Oswal family, long regarded as global investors with deep ties to Uganda, has vowed to pursue every legal avenue after enduring what they describe as an “unprecedented miscarriage of justice” that saw their daughter, entrepreneur Vasundhara Oswal, illegally detained for three weeks in Uganda on fabricated charges of kidnapping and intent to murder in October 2024. The episode, which began with false accusations by their former employee Mukesh Menaria, has since unravelled into a scandal of international proportions. Mukesh, as we speak, once a trusted household chef, is wanted in multiple jurisdictions for theft, bail-jumping, knowingly providing false…
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At least UGX 88.1 billion remains unclaimed in closed mobile money and other e-money accounts, a Bank of Uganda report shows. The money, which is currently held Bank of Uganda (BoU), has been accumulating for over four years since the central bank took over the regulation of mobile money and e-money service providers. Details contained in the Bank of Uganda 2024/25 Integrated Annual Report indicate that during the 12 months to June 30, 2025, mobile money and e-money providers transferred UGX 10.8 billion in closed-account balances to the central bank for safekeeping. However, the report notes that by the reporting…
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As the rest of Uganda chokes on expensive credit, with commercial bank lending rates hovering between 18 and 20 percent, staff at the Bank of Uganda (BoU) are enjoying the rare comfort of nearly interest-free, long-term loans stretching up to two decades. Revelations from the central bank’s latest Integrated Annual Report 2024/25 have lifted the lid on a rare privilege: access to nearly interest-free loans for central bank staff and executives, stretching up to 20 years and offered at rates between 0% and 3%. The disclosure has triggered both curiosity and criticism. For some, it’s a thoughtful staff welfare strategy,…
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By CEO East Africa Magazine Team Uganda’s ambition is bold: to grow its economy tenfold, moving millions out of poverty and cementing its place among Africa’s rising stars. The 2025/26 national budget, with a resource envelope of UGX 72.4 trillion, sets the tone — prioritising human capital, infrastructure, industrialisation, and digital transformation. But behind the optimism lies a fiscal squeeze. Public debt is climbing past USD 31.5 billion (51.26% of GDP), leaving little room for fresh borrowing. That means financing Uganda’s 10x dream depends squarely on domestic revenue mobilisation. Rather than introducing new taxes, the government is tightening administration —…
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