Equity Bank Uganda will this weekend migrate its core banking data — including its Finacle database — from Kenya to an in-country data centre in Uganda, in a move aimed at strengthening data security, improving system performance, and enhancing service reliability. The migration is part of the bank’s alignment with new Bank of Uganda (BoU) directives that require all supervised financial institutions to store customer data locally and maintain independent in-country disaster recovery facilities.
The exercise will take place from 8:00 pm on Saturday, February 7, 2026, to Sunday, February 8, 2026, during which time some digital and branch-based banking services will be temporarily unavailable as the transition is completed.
Raxio’s Uganda data centre, located in Namanve’s Industrial and Business Park, is the country’s first Tier III-certified, carrier-neutral data centre, capable of housing up to 400 racks and designed to support critical IT infrastructure with high performance, resilience, and connectivity. Opened in 2021, the facility offers a plug-and-play digital ecosystem with multiple local and international fibre carriers and cloud service connections, providing a secure and redundant environment for businesses to host and manage their data locally.
What Customers Need to Know
In an interview with the CEO East Africa Magazine, Clare G. Tumwesigye, the bank’s Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Equity emphasised that customers’ money and account details remain safe throughout the process. Importantly, customers will not experience any changes to their account numbers, balances, or personal information as a result of the migration. Online banking usernames and passwords will also remain unchanged, and customers are not required to take any action before or after the system migration.
During this carefully planned maintenance window, customers will still be able to access cash and transact via ATMs, authorised agents and merchant points. However, services such as mobile banking, internet banking, branch transactions, and some payment channels may be temporarily unavailable.
Customers who need assistance during the approximately 22-hour migration window can reach Equity Bank’s customer care team via the toll-free line 0800 232700.
Strengthening Security and Service Reliability
Equity Bank Launches Affordable Financing for Electric Cooking In UgandaThe migration is part of Equity Bank Uganda’s response to new BoU technology and cybersecurity guidelines that took effect on December 1, 2024. These rules are designed to safeguard Uganda’s financial system amid rising cyber threats and increasing reliance on digital banking.
Under the new regulatory framework, banks are required to keep customer data within Uganda to safeguard data sovereignty, establish independent in-country disaster recovery facilities to ensure uninterrupted service, and reduce reliance on overseas or parent-company IT infrastructure. Collectively, these measures are aimed at strengthening cybersecurity controls and improving technology risk management across the financial sector.
For customers, these measures translate into faster system performance, improved resilience, and stronger protection of personal and financial data.
Commitment to Service and Security
Equity Bank Uganda says the migration is a necessary step to ensure long-term service reliability and regulatory compliance, while positioning the bank to deliver a more secure and efficient digital banking experience.
The bank also said it has put in place contingency and rollback measures to ensure that services can be restored safely should any unexpected issues arise during the process.
The bank also apologised for any inconvenience caused by the temporary disruption and reassured customers that teams will be on standby throughout the weekend to monitor progress and support urgent queries.
