Uganda’s rapid shift towards digital banking and electronic payments is creating a new front in the financial sector’s battle against fraud, with banks increasingly turning to customer awareness as a critical layer of defence against cyber-enabled financial crime.

Stanbic Bank Uganda has launched its ‘Stay Switched On’ campaign, positioning customer vigilance alongside technology and institutional controls as part of the industry’s response to increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes.

The campaign comes against a backdrop of rapid expansion in digital financial services, which has made banking more convenient and accessible but has also created new opportunities for fraudsters to exploit weaknesses in customer behaviour.

Stephen Adatu, Vice Chairperson of the Fraud and Forgery Subcommittee at the Uganda Bankers Association, said digital and cyber-related fraud now accounts for nearly one-third of fraud cases reported within the banking industry.

The figure highlights the growing importance of fraud prevention as banks migrate more services to digital channels and customers increasingly rely on mobile and online platforms for financial transactions.

For the banking industry however, the challenge is increasingly moving beyond protecting the technology infrastructure itself.

Fraudsters are targeting customers through phishing, social engineering, SIM-swap schemes and other techniques designed to manipulate people into surrendering sensitive information or authorising transactions themselves.

Stanbic Bank Head of Fraud Risk Sophia Nakazibwe said fraudsters were increasingly exploiting human behaviour rather than attempting to breach banking systems directly.

“They exploit trust, fear, urgency and even people’s willingness to help others,” she said, noting that criminals can sometimes obtain passwords, PINs and one-time passwords by manipulating customers rather than hacking into bank systems.

This makes customer behaviour an increasingly important component of the financial sector’s cybersecurity architecture.

The shift also changes the nature of the industry’s fraud-prevention challenge. While banks continue to invest in security systems, transaction monitoring and other technological safeguards, the effectiveness of those investments can be undermined when customers are persuaded to disclose confidential credentials or approve fraudulent transactions.

Stanbic Bank Head of Coverage Sam Bulenzi said protecting customers’ finances was therefore part of the bank’s wider contribution to Uganda’s economic transformation.

The bank’s argument is that financial-sector growth cannot be measured solely by the expansion of credit, digital transactions or access to banking services. The ability to protect the financial assets moving through those systems is becoming equally important.

“Fraud is an industry-wide challenge,” Adatu said, arguing that prevention should be viewed as a shared responsibility between financial institutions and their customers.

That position points to an emerging industry model in which cybersecurity is no longer solely an issue for banks’ technology and risk departments, but also a matter of customer education.

The ‘Stay Switched On’ campaign seeks to reinforce basic security practices, including keeping PINs, passwords and one-time passwords confidential, independently verifying unexpected requests for money or personal information and promptly reporting suspicious activity.

At the centre of the campaign is the Stanbic Bank Uganda Security Centre, an online resource providing guidance on common fraud risks, including phishing, SIM swaps, ATM fraud and social engineering.

The initiative reflects a wider reality facing financial institutions, as the cost and sophistication of attacking banking systems increases, criminals can achieve similar results by attacking the weakest link — the customer.

For banks, this creates a dual requirement. They must continue strengthening the security of their digital infrastructure while ensuring customers understand how seemingly innocuous calls, messages or requests can be used to compromise their accounts.

The issue is particularly significant as Uganda pushes towards greater digitalisation of its economy. More transactions conducted electronically mean greater efficiency for businesses and consumers, but also increase the potential financial impact of successful fraud.

Stanbic says its campaign is therefore intended to encourage customers to pause, verify and report before responding to unexpected financial requests.

The broader industry lesson is that digital financial inclusion and financial security must advance together. Expanding access to digital banking without corresponding investment in consumer awareness could leave new users increasingly exposed to sophisticated forms of financial crime.

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Kenya Airways has announced another change at the top of the national carrier, with Captain George Kamal set to leave his position as Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer as the airline continues its search for a substantive CEO.

Kamal will be replaced by Habil Waswani, the airline’s Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services, who will take over as Acting GMD/CEO effective September 15, 2026.

The leadership change comes as Kenya Airways continues to implement a turnaround strategy aimed at restoring operational reliability, optimising its network and fleet, and strengthening the airline’s long-term financial and strategic position.

In a message to staff dated September 1, Kenya Airways Chairman Kiprono Kittony said Kamal would be transitioning from his role after four years of service, during which he brought extensive aviation expertise to the airline and helped steer it through its most recent executive leadership transition.

“The Board and Management express their sincere gratitude to Capt. Kamal for his four years of dedicated service,” Kittony said.

Kamal assumed the acting CEO role following the departure of Allan Kilavuka, who left Kenya Airways in late 2025 after serving as Group Managing Director and CEO since 2020.

His departure now sets the stage for another leadership transition at a critical point in the airline’s recovery.

Waswani, who has more than 24 years of multi-sector corporate and commercial legal experience, has spent more than five years at Kenya Airways. Before taking over as acting CEO, he served as Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Global Executive MBA from the United States International University in collaboration with Columbia Business School in New York.

Waswani is also a Certified Public Secretary and a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya and the Institute of Directors of Kenya.

His professional background spans senior corporate governance roles in banking and insurance, rather than airline operations, making his appointment an interim stewardship role as the board works to identify a permanent chief executive.

The board said it has already initiated a competitive recruitment process for a substantive GMD/CEO, which it expects to conclude in the near term.

The search for a permanent chief executive comes as Kenya Airways seeks to consolidate gains from its turnaround programme and address the operational and financial challenges that have weighed on the carrier for years.

According to the chairman, the airline’s immediate strategic priorities remain operational reliability, network and fleet optimisation, sustainability and growth, alongside identifying a suitable strategic investor.

The search for an investor is particularly significant given Kenya Airways’ long-running financial challenges and the strategic importance of the carrier to Kenya’s position as an East African aviation hub.

The board expressed confidence that the transition from Kamal to Waswani would be smooth and that the airline would maintain momentum towards its strategic objectives.

The latest change means Kenya Airways will enter its next phase of recovery under an acting CEO while the board completes the search for a permanent executive to lead the national carrier.

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TAAG Angola Airlines is expanding its reach into Brazil through a new codeshare agreement with LATAM Brasil that will give its passengers access to 57 destinations across Brazil beyond the Angolan carrier’s own network.

The agreement integrates the destination networks of the two airlines, allowing TAAG passengers travelling through São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) to connect onto LATAM Brasil’s extensive domestic network under a combined itinerary.

The partnership strengthens air connectivity between Africa and South America, while opening new travel opportunities for business and leisure passengers moving between Angola and Brazil.

For TAAG, the agreement is also part of a broader strategy to use partnerships to expand its international network without having to operate every destination itself.

Passengers will be able to purchase connecting journeys through TAAG, with the codeshare arrangement providing greater flexibility in travel planning and a more seamless transfer experience between the two airlines.

TAAG says the arrangement also offers practical benefits associated with connecting travel, including streamlined check-in and baggage handling, as well as passenger assistance during transit.

The partnership gives TAAG customers access to destinations ranging from major Brazilian commercial centres such as Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife and Salvador to tourism and regional markets including Fernando de Noronha, Foz do Iguaçu, Porto Seguro and Florianópolis.

The expanded network also reaches cities across Brazil’s northern, northeastern, central and southern regions, significantly widening the geographic footprint available to passengers originating from Angola.

The agreement comes as TAAG seeks to strengthen the role of Dr António Agostinho Neto International Airport (NBJ) in Luanda as a connecting hub between Africa and South America.

The Angolan carrier sees the airport as a platform through which its network can facilitate not only passenger mobility but also wider economic and tourism links between the two regions.

LATAM Brasil is part of the LATAM Airlines Group, described by TAAG as the largest airline group in South America, with operations spanning Latin America and connections to North America, Europe, Oceania and Africa.

The group operates a fleet of more than 350 aircraft, comprising Airbus aircraft for domestic and regional services and Boeing aircraft for long-haul operations.

The codeshare therefore gives TAAG access to the distribution and connectivity capabilities of one of South America’s largest airline groups, while giving LATAM an additional channel into the African market through TAAG’s network.

The partnership could also extend beyond Brazil. TAAG said the two airlines may in future expand the agreement to cover LATAM’s international services across South America and North America, potentially giving TAAG passengers access to a substantially wider network.

For TAAG, the immediate prize is Brazil, where the new agreement transforms São Paulo into a gateway to dozens of destinations beyond the airline’s own operations and strengthens Luanda’s potential as a bridge between the African and South American markets.

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A Joint Report 

It is 1991.

Kampala Road is paved with tarmac. The buildings lining both sides of the road are mostly single-story structures, housing modest businesses such as video libraries, black-and-white photo studios, hairdressing salons, and even dairy shops.

On one side of this road – where Mapeera House and Kampala Boulevard Building now sit – stand two buildings whose walls were blown away by explosions in the 1979 war that resulted in the overthrow of President Idi Amin, leaving openings large enough for people to walk through.

Businesses along other roads such as Nkrumah and Nasser are struggling to attract customers as the routes are riddled with gaping potholes. It takes three hours to travel a 45km distance between Kampala and Lugazi town by car – not because of traffic jams, but because of many potholes along the road.

Everyday goods are still in short supply. The once-bustling industrial towns of Mbale and Jinja are quiet as factories closed a few years earlier. Production of coffee, once a major source of foreign exchange, has significantly dropped.

Just five years ago, a band of armed Ugandans shot its way into power and is now struggling to reestablish peace nationwide and repair an economy broken by years of conflict and mismanagement.

A large part of the country is calm but, in the north, guns are still blazing, drowning out any hope for peace and recovery. Hundreds of workers have been put out of work by a package of economic recovery reforms.

A banking crisis that would later bring down five indigenous financial institutions and leave some international banks limping on is unfolding.

“We started to see international banks closing branches in major towns and concentrating in Kampala,” Michael Wakabi, who was a journalist in his 20s at the time, says. “Some of these towns were former industrial towns that lost factories during Amin’s time and were now in bad shape.”

To make matters worse—at the time, Uganda is not only experiencing some of the highest poverty levels in its history, but also the highest infection levels from a strange, virulent disease – HIV/AIDS. With families losing breadwinners to the new disease and the war in the north raging on, Ugandans are unsure of the future.

“People had lost hope, and saw no need of long-term planning,” Wakabi remembers. “My father worked at Kakira Sugar Works, and I would see company trucks taking home three or five bodies of workers who had died of HIV/AIDS. The rebels were active in the north and, travelling there was dangerous.”

Out Grindlays, enter Standard Bank Group

From a century old structure along Kampala Road, Stanbic Bank became the anchor tenant at Crested Towers reflecting both growth and intent

Yet, in the same year, 1991/92, Standard Bank Group (Stanbic) acquires Grindlays Bank of East Africa and enters the Ugandan market that many companies are unwilling to venture into, seeing an opportunity to contribute to the recovery and growth of a country it was determined to make its home.

“Unless you were a long-term thinker, you would not invest in Uganda at that time,” Wakabi says. “Many companies saw no future here. But Stanbic knew things would settle and that Uganda needed financial services to recover and grow.”

To understand the decision by the bank to enter a fragile market at the time, it helps to appreciate the institution that made it. Standard Bank’s history on the African continent stretches back more than 160 years.

Across different eras, economic cycles and political environments, the Group has often expanded not into places where success was guaranteed, but into markets where it believed long-term fundamentals justified patience and commitment.

As Estranelle Lubbe, Head of Heritage Governance at Standard Bank Group, observes, Uganda’s story fits neatly within that tradition.

“When you study the Group’s history, you find a recurring willingness to think beyond current conditions and focus on long-term potential,” Lubbe says. “Uganda represented exactly that kind of opportunity. The institution saw a country rebuilding itself and believed it could contribute to that journey.”

Redefining Standard Bank’s role

Against popular sentiment, the Government in 2002, completed the privatisation of Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) one of the most consequential economic reforms.

The decision generated national debate, attracted intense public interest and fundamentally transformed the country’s banking landscape. For Stanbic, it represented an opportunity that would redefine its role in Uganda’s economy.

Until then, Stanbic had largely been viewed as a niche institution, drawing heavily on the legacy inherited from Grindlays. Its acquisition of UCB changed that almost overnight, enabling the bank to participate more deeply in the country’s development.

At the time, the country’s reconstruction effort was paying off. The economy was expanding, and Uganda’s entrepreneurial spirit was coming alive. But key sectors of the economy such as education and health required capital to sustain the momentum of growth.

It was during this time that Stanbic crystalized an idea that continues to define it today – Uganda is Home. We Drive Her Growth. Many companies adopt purpose statements, but few are tested by them.

Patrick Mweheire, who later became Stanbic Bank Uganda’s first Ugandan Chief Executive before assuming broader leadership responsibilities within Standard Bank Group, believes that the significance of the statement lay in the obligations it created for the institution rather than the words themselves.

“If Uganda is truly your home, then your relationship with the country cannot be transactional,” he reflects. “A home is somewhere you invest, a place whose success becomes intertwined with your own. The purpose challenged us to think beyond banking products and focus on how we could contribute to Uganda’s broader growth story.”

Financing productive sectors

Thirty-five years on, Stanbic is one of the country’s leading financiers of productive sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, trade and energy.

Along the way, the bank has broken financial barriers for women entrepreneurs, brought the unbanked rural folks into the formal banking systems through unsecured, low-interest loans to savings organisations, helped businesses transition from informal to formal enterprises, and equipped young people with entrepreneurship and innovation skills.

And by so doing, the bank has transformed the lives of segments of the population that Uganda needs to drive and sustain growth – women, youth and farmers.

One of Stanbic’s most interesting features is that, as the country evolves, the bank evolves alongside it.

Francis Karuhanga, Regional Chief Executive for Central and Southern Africa at Standard Bank Group, and a former Chief Executive of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited, sees this linkage as central to understanding the institution’s history.

“What makes the story compelling is that it mirrors Uganda’s own development journey,” he says. “The bank grew because Uganda was growing. Every major phase in our evolution corresponded with a broader phase in the country’s economic progress. It has always been a shared story rather than two separate ones.”

That shared story has been carried forward by successive generations of leadership. During its first decade in Uganda between 1991 and 2000, the institution was overseen by a succession of Country Chief Executives from Standard Bank Group, including AB Myers, Dave Edgar, John Murray, John Miller, and Anthony Klensmitch, who laid the groundwork for the bank’s early operations.

Francis Karuhanga welcomes Mumba Kalifungwa as the new Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Uganda at the start of 2025. Karuhanga now serves as Regional Chief Executive for Central & Southern Africa

In 2001 the lender received its first African Chief Executive, Kitili Mbathi, who steered the bank through the all-important acquisition and merger process of the Uganda Commercial Bank. He would later be succeeded by Philip Odera who was in charge from 2007 to 2014 before being succeeded Patrick Mweheire—the first Ugandan to be trusted to helm the lender, followed by Anne Juuko—its first female Chief Executive, Samuel Mwogeza—who served in the interim transition after Juuko until the substantive appointment of Mumba Kenneth Kalifungwa in 2025.

Different chief executives have confronted different challenges, from integration and expansion to digital transformation and sustainability but guided by a single purpose: driving Uganda’s growth.

Kalifungwa views the anniversary less as a celebration of longevity than an affirmation of conviction. “Thirty-five years ago, our predecessors made a choice that required confidence in Uganda’s future,” he says. “Looking back, that confidence was justified. Looking ahead, our responsibility is to continue earning the trust that has been built over three and a half decades and to remain a meaningful partner in Uganda’s next phase of growth.”

A Shared Journey of Transformation

The future may present opportunities every bit as significant as those that existed in the 1990s. Uganda stands on the threshold of major economic shifts driven by industrialization, energy development, deeper regional integration and demographic expansion.

The questions confronting policymakers today are different from those that dominated the early years of recovery, but they revolve around a familiar theme: how to convert potential into prosperity. For Mark Ociiti Ongom, Chief Executive of Stanbic Uganda Holding Limited, this is what makes the milestone worth reflecting on in the first place.

“The real story isn’t that a bank has been operating in Uganda for 35 years,” he says. “The real story is that Uganda has undergone one of the most remarkable transformations on the continent during that period. Stanbic’s journey only becomes meaningful when viewed alongside the country’s journey. That is why the purpose continues to resonate.”

Perhaps that is the most interesting lesson from the past three and a half decades. The story begins with a bank entering a recovering economy at a moment when many observers remained uncertain about its prospects. It ends, at least for now, with that economy standing among Africa’s more resilient growth stories and the bank having grown into its largest financial institution.

Thirty-five years ago, Standard Bank Group looked at Uganda and made a choice. It chose commitment over caution, partnership over distance and long-term possibility over short-term uncertainty.

Today, one can debate growth projections, economic forecasts and the challenges that still lie ahead. But the proposition that brought Standard Bank Group to Uganda three and a half decades ago appears harder to dispute with each passing year: Uganda was worth believing in.

And some of the most consequential investments are not made in markets alone, but in futures. Wakabi agrees. “The decision Standard Bank Group made to come to Uganda in 1991 showed that it was a long-term thinker,” he says. “I want to believe it still is. The new Government had laid out its reconstruction plan, and the bank bought into it. And here we are.”

The post How Stanbic Took a Leap of Faith to Bet on Uganda 35 Years Ago appeared first on 256 Business News.

Rising dollar demand from oil-sector companies and fuel importers is putting renewed pressure on the Uganda shilling, with the currency vulnerable around UGX3,740-3,750 to the dollar as demand for hard currency outpaces available supply.

The pressure is part of a broader divergence across African foreign-exchange markets, where currencies are increasingly being shaped by the strength, timing and reliability of dollar inflows rather than by a common regional trend.

London-based market intelligence and news platform Allen Dreyfus says Uganda is experiencing a familiar mismatch between demand for dollars and available foreign-currency supply, with fuel importers and commercial banks among those competing for hard currency.

The demand comes as Uganda continues to prepare for oil production, creating additional foreign-exchange requirements for companies involved in the sector, while the wider import bill adds to pressure on the local currency.

“The bigger message? Africa’s currencies are increasingly separating into those supported by dependable dollar inflows and those scrambling to ration scarce ones,” Dreyfus said.

For Uganda, the immediate concern is whether dollar supply can keep pace with corporate and import-related demand without placing further pressure on the shilling.

The currency is therefore approaching the UGX3,740-3,750 per dollar range identified by Dreyfus as a key pressure point.

Ghana faces corporate FX backlog

Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama Governort Bank of Ghana

Ghana is confronting a similar imbalance, although the sources of pressure differ. The cedi has weakened from about 11.05 to around 11.15 to the dollar amid a growing backlog of corporate foreign-exchange orders.

According to Dreyfus, energy-sector demand, coupon and dividend repatriation are colliding with insufficient inflows from the extractive sector.

Heavy bidding at Bank of Ghana foreign-exchange auctions is another indication that demand for dollars remains strong.

The relatively modest movement in the cedi therefore masks a potentially more significant problem beneath the surface; of persistent demand for foreign currency that is not being fully met through normal market supply.

Nigeria gets support from oil flows and foreign investors

Nigeria offers a contrasting picture to Uganda and Ghana, with stronger dollar inflows helping support the naira, which was trading at about 1,344 to the dollar officially.

The country’s oil sector has received an unexpected boost from the disruption to global fuel markets following the Gulf crisis, particularly through the rapid expansion of Dangote Refinery’s exports of refined products.

European buyers have increasingly turned to Nigeria for aviation fuel as disruptions to traditional Middle Eastern supply routes forced refiners and traders to seek alternative sources. Dangote Refinery has emerged as one of the main beneficiaries, becoming Europe’s largest jet-fuel supplier in June and July.

Yemi Cardoso, Governor Centrl Bank of Nigeria

The shift has helped strengthen Nigeria’s position in the international refined-products market. Nigerian seaborne petroleum-product exports have increased seven-fold since 2023, according to the US Energy Information Administration, with the Dangote refinery accounting for much of the increase.

For the naira, the stronger oil and refined-product flows are being reinforced by foreign investors buying high-yielding domestic securities. The currency was trading at around 1,344 to the dollar officially, with further gains possible as long as elevated interest rates continue to attract foreign capital.

Dreyfus sees room for further gains, but cautions that the naira’s strength remains dependent not only on oil-related dollar inflows but also on the continued willingness of foreign investors to hold high-yielding Nigerian assets, making the rally potentially expensive to sustain if the interest-rate advantage narrows.

Nigeria illustrates the other side of Africa’s FX divide. While Uganda and Ghana are dealing with periods in which dollar demand is outstripping supply, Nigeria is benefiting from stronger foreign-exchange inflows generated by its expanding role in the global refined-fuel trade.

Remittances offer Kenya support, Kwacha faces political headwinds

Kamau Thugge Governor Central Bank of Kenya

Kenya’s shilling could also strengthen modestly as diaspora remittances increase dollar supply and month-end demand for foreign currency eases.

The Kenyan case again highlights the importance of predictable inflows. Remittances have become a significant source of foreign exchange for the country, providing support when corporate and import demand increases.

Zambia, meanwhile, is showing a different pattern. Political tensions surrounding President Hakainde Hichilema’s disputed re-election have interrupted the kwacha’s recent appreciation, but the copper-producing economy has not yet entered a significant currency retreat.

Dreyfus expects the kwacha to consolidate around 19.18 to the dollar rather than resume a sharp decline.

Flows matter more than headline rates

The divergent performances across Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia point to a broader shift in how African currencies are being driven.

Countries with dependable sources of dollar earnings—whether from oil, minerals or remittances—have greater capacity to absorb periods of strong demand for foreign currency.

Those with weaker or less predictable inflows are more exposed when importers, corporates and investors simultaneously increase their demand for dollars.

For Uganda, the immediate test will be whether oil-related and other foreign-exchange inflows can eventually provide sufficient supply to offset the growing demand generated by the country’s investment and import requirements.

For investors, Dreyfus argues, exchange-rate movements alone may not tell the full story.

“Watch the flows — they may tell you more than the exchange rate itself,” he said.

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A poultry feed-processing machine designed by students at Sedes Sapientiae Academiae in Kiruhura District has won the 11th Stanbic National Schools Championship, highlighting the growing emphasis on practical innovation in Uganda’s education system.

The student team developed a multi-purpose machine that can chop and grind different types of animal feed, targeting a common challenge faced by small-scale poultry farmers who have access to raw feed materials but incur additional costs when processing them.

Steven Turyamwesiimire, one of the students behind the innovation, said the team was motivated by the high cost of processed poultry feed.

“Farmers have the poultry feeds but lack ways of processing them, which becomes costly. So, we decided to make a machine that can help farmers process their feeds at home without buying processed feed,” he said.

According to Turyamwesiimire, the machine could reduce feeding costs by up to 60% and improve farmers’ monthly profits, although the figures are based on the students’ assessment of the innovation.

The machine is designed to provide farmers with an alternative to commercial feed-processing services while allowing them to process different feed materials at the farm level.

Sedes Sapientiae emerged ahead of Iganga Secondary School, which was the first runner-up. St Kizito High School Namugongo finished second runner-up, while Aga Khan High School was third runner-up.

The competition comes as Uganda seeks to give practical skills and problem-solving a greater role in education, particularly through the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).

Speaking at the championship finale, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Jonard Asiimwe said the shift towards hands-on learning should enable students to apply classroom knowledge to real economic and social challenges.

He said Uganda needs young people with practical STEM skills, digital literacy and competencies relevant to sectors such as agriculture, industry, healthcare and finance.

Asiimwe also urged young innovators to embrace emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, while strengthening intellectual property protection and pathways for commercialising promising innovations.

The Minister called for stronger links between schools, government institutions and the private sector so that promising student innovations can receive technical support and opportunities to move beyond competitions.

The championship’s organisers said this year’s edition attracted applications from more than 1,000 schools. The number of schools participating in the boot camp increased from 150 in 2024 to 200 this year.

The competition has two main components: the Student Spark Challenge, which focuses on innovative ideas from schools, and the Business Fellowship, which supports alumni students and teachers seeking to refine and scale businesses developed through earlier editions.

Stanbic Bank Uganda Chief Executive Mumba Kalifungwa said the championship had evolved from a quiz competition into a platform focused on skills including problem-solving, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, teamwork and leadership.

The bank said it has invested more than UGX7 billion in the programme over the past decade, with the initiative reaching more than half a million learners, teachers and community members.

This year’s prize pool exceeds UGX100 million, with support directed towards participating students and schools and the development of their entrepreneurial ideas.

For the winning students, however, the significance of the poultry machine will ultimately depend on whether it can move beyond the school competition and become a practical, affordable product for farmers.

That transition—from student prototype to commercially viable agricultural technology—could provide the more important test of whether school-based innovation can translate into solutions for Uganda’s farming economy.

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Uganda Airlines has begun recruiting Boeing 737 captains and First Officers as it prepares to transition from wet-leased operations to dry leases, a move that would give the national carrier greater control over the aircraft and its operating costs.

The recruitment marks an important step in the carrier’s plans to build internal flight-deck capacity ahead of the expected delivery of its Boeing 737 Max aircraft on order, while also preparing for a longer-term replacement of the current crew-and-aircraft arrangement.

The flag carrier has advertised positions for Boeing 737 captains and First Officers, as well as Country Managers for Rwanda and West Africa. The latter appointments come ahead of the planned launch of services to Kigali and Accra, with the airline scheduled to begin flights to Accra on October 27 and Kigali on November 19.

The move is part of the flag carrier’s broader effort to build operational capacity, rationalise its network and create a schedule capable of feeding passengers efficiently between its regional and long-haul services.

256 Business News contacted Uganda Airlines on August 18 seeking details on the number of flight-deck crew to be recruited and the timeline for the transition but had not received a response by the time of publication.

However, sources familiar with the airline’s plans said the carrier intends to have its own flight-deck crew in place by November, when its current wet lease arrangement for a Boeing 737-800 is expected to expire.

Uganda Airlines has been operating the aircraft under a wet lease from Ethiopian Airlines since May. Under the arrangement, the aircraft and its operating crew are provided by the lessor.

The proposed shift to a dry lease would see Uganda Airlines take the aircraft without the flight-deck crew and operate it with its own pilots and cabin crew.

The sources said the aircraft is still expected to be sourced from Ethiopian Airlines, but under a different operating arrangement.

They said the change could significantly reduce the airline’s direct leasing costs, potentially by about two-thirds, while allowing it to retain the aircraft for longer than the wet-lease arrangements permitted under Uganda’s regulatory framework.

Wet leases are also subject to limits imposed by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, with the current regulatory framework restricting such arrangements to a maximum of six months.

Network rationalisation

The move comes as Uganda Airlines restructures its regional network and schedules around a stronger connectivity model, with the aim of improving passenger feed between regional services and its growing long-haul network.

The sources’ said Kigali is expected to provide additional feed into Uganda Airlines’ European and West African services, while Accra is intended to strengthen connectivity to Lagos and Mumbai.

The carrier has also adjusted its schedule to create more effective connections between its regional and long-haul flights.

London departures have been moved to a daytime schedule, with flights leaving Entebbe between 10.30am and 11am and returning the following day between 5.30am and 6.30am.

The adjustment is intended to improve connections with the airline’s morning wave of flights from southern Africa, including Johannesburg, Harare and Lusaka.

An additional weekly frequency has also been introduced on the Harare-Lusaka route on Saturdays, while Johannesburg has received an additional frequency on Mondays.

Plans to increase Johannesburg to twice-daily were, however, put on hold following the outbreak of xenophobic violence targeting African migrants in South Africa.

On the Nairobi-Entebbe route, Uganda Airlines has retained three daily frequencies but adjusted departure times. The first morning flight to Nairobi has moved from 6.30am to 8am, while a late evening departure has been added at 10pm.

“The philosophy behind the new route structure is connectivity and growth,” sources said. “This will be supported by a new bank structure with morning, mid-afternoon and evening departures, all configured to deliver more efficient feed and de-feed within the network.”

The move to dry leasing is strategically significant for Uganda Airlines because it shifts more operational responsibility and capability into the carrier itself.

Rather than relying on an external airline to provide pilots as part of a wet-lease package, Uganda Airlines will have to maintain the necessary pool of appropriately qualified and certified crew to operate the aircraft.

Sources said preparations to certify cabin crew are also at an advanced stage.

The transition would also provide the airline with greater flexibility over how the aircraft is deployed within its network, while reducing its reliance on external capacity as it prepares for the arrival of its own Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

For Uganda Airlines, the immediate challenge will be ensuring that recruitment, training, certification and regulatory approvals are completed in time to support the transition when the current wet lease expires.

The post Uganda Airlines Begins B737 Crew Hiring as it Prepares to Shift From Wet to Dry Leases appeared first on 256 Business News.

The Madi-West Nile Diocese of the Church of Uganda is looking beyond conventional banking to turn its land, institutions and community networks into engines of sustainable economic development across the West Nile region.

The diocese and Equity Bank Uganda are working towards a formal partnership that would provide a framework for developing church assets in agriculture, education, healthcare, energy, environmental conservation and enterprise development.

The proposed partnership, to be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marks an evolution in a relationship that has traditionally centred on banking services but has increasingly expanded into financing, financial literacy and community development.

For the diocese, which operates across 12 districts and 13 archdeaconries, the scale of its institutional footprint provides a significant platform for economic activity. It has 150 parishes, 685 churches and 221 active clergy, alongside schools, health facilities and substantial land holdings.

The opportunity now is to make those assets more productive without losing their underlying social and religious purpose.

Equity Bank Managing Director Gift Shoko said the bank’s role would be to bring financial and technical expertise to projects capable of making church institutions more economically sustainable.

“Our purpose as a Bank is to transform lives, give dignity and expand opportunities for wealth creation,” Shoko said.

He said the partnership could help church institutions, schools and land become “self-sustaining, financially independent entities”.

That approach shifts the relationship from one based primarily on the provision of banking services to one centred on capital mobilisation and asset development.

Among the opportunities under consideration are commercial agriculture and forestry projects on church land, as well as financing for the renovation and expansion of schools and health facilities.

The partnership would also have a grassroots financial inclusion component, targeting savings groups in communities that include refugees and their host populations. Financial literacy and appropriate financing products would be used to strengthen the capacity of these groups to save, invest and grow enterprises.

Geoffrey Nasser, the diocesan secretary, said Equity’s engagement with the diocese had already moved beyond conventional corporate banking.

The Diocesan Secretary Geoffrey Nasser secretary of the Madi West Diocese receives a gift hamper from Catherine Psomgen, the Director for Public Sector Social Investments at Equity Bank after a strategic engagement

The bank has supported clergy and church workers, while also providing financing and financial literacy initiatives targeting graduates, youth and community groups.

“Equity Bank’s support extends far beyond corporate banking into the very heart of our community,” Nasser said.

The relationship has also produced a significant physical asset for the diocese. Equity Bank has provided about UGX4 billion towards construction of the Jubilee Administrative Building, conceived as part of the diocese’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Bishop Rt Rev Dr Charles Collins Andaku said the building was intended to provide the diocese with a permanent administrative home.

The proposed wider partnership could now build on that investment by creating a more systematic approach to financing and developing diocesan assets.

This is particularly significant in a region where land, institutional infrastructure and community networks represent potentially valuable economic resources, but where access to long-term capital and technical expertise can constrain their development.

For Equity, the arrangement also provides an avenue to deepen financial inclusion and enterprise development among communities that already interact with the church through its extensive institutional network.

The partnership comes amid a broader shift among faith-based organisations towards developing sustainable revenue streams to support their social missions.

For Madi-West Nile Diocese, the central proposition is that productive assets should help finance the institutions and services through which the church serves its communities.

If successfully structured, the relationship with Equity could therefore turn church land and institutions into a more deliberate development portfolio—generating income, creating jobs and supporting education, healthcare and community initiatives while strengthening the diocese’s financial independence.

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Partnerships are emerging as a key pillar of Stanbic Bank Uganda’s efforts to improve maternal and newborn healthcare, enabling the bank to extend support beyond individual facilities to some of the country’s most underserved communities.

The approach is particularly evident in Karamoja, where Stanbic Bank Uganda has partnered with MTN Uganda and other stakeholders to strengthen maternal healthcare services at Karita Health Centre IV in Amudat District, at the southern edge of the Karamoja Sub-region.

Located in one of Uganda’s most remote regions, Karita serves a population far beyond its immediate catchment area, placing considerable pressure on its facilities and health workers.

For mothers in Karamoja, accessing specialised care can involve long distances, difficult terrain and limited transport options. Strengthening services closer to communities therefore becomes critical to reducing delays in seeking and receiving care.

Diana Ondoga, Manager, Corporate Social Investment at Stanbic Bank, said partnerships were helping address some of the structural barriers to quality maternal healthcare.

“For many expectant mothers, access to quality maternal healthcare has often been limited by distance, inadequate facilities, and a shortage of specialised services. Supporting impactful health partnerships aligns with our mission to drive growth and improve lives across Uganda.”

Under MTN Uganda’s Y’ello Care campaign, Stanbic Bank joined other organisations in supporting Karita and three other health centres with medical equipment and supplies, solar power equipment, ICT tools, bicycles and smartphones for Village Health Teams.

The intervention also included digital health training and community health activities, reflecting a broader effort to improve both the capacity of health facilities and the connection between healthcare workers and communities.

The campaign brought together private-sector companies, government agencies, NGOs and civil society organisations under the theme “Expand Equitable Health for Every Community.”

At Karita, the significance of the intervention extends beyond the equipment itself. Better-equipped facilities can give health workers greater capacity to respond to emergencies, while improved communication and mobility can help Village Health Teams reach mothers and families in hard-to-access communities.

The partnership builds on Stanbic Bank’s longer-term maternal health strategy. Three years ago, the bank, together with the Ministry of Health, launched the Corporate Society for Safe Motherhood (CSSM), a platform designed to mobilise resources and bring corporate organisations together to support efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality.

The initiative has increasingly focused on partnerships as a way of pooling resources and expertise around Uganda’s maternal healthcare challenges.

In June 2026, during the commissioning of a new maternity wing and operating theatre at Karita Health Centre IV, Stanbic donated medical equipment valued at more than UGX96 million as part of efforts to strengthen service delivery at the facility.

Stanbic’s CSI Manager,Diana Ondoga (L) handsover a phone donated by MTN to one of the VHT’s alongside Dr Ruth Grace Kakoba, MoH’s Technical Advisor for Maternal and Newborn Health

According to Dr George Ogwang, the facility’s in-charge, Amudat District has a population of more than 203,000, while Karita also serves about 40,000 people from neighbouring districts.

The expanded catchment area means the facility must cater for a substantial patient population despite operating in a remote and resource-constrained environment.

Ogwang said the additional support would strengthen the facility’s ability to respond to the needs of its catchment population, particularly mothers and newborns.

Karita was the final stop in the Y’ello Care campaign, following similar interventions at Kibiito Health Centre IV in Bunyangabu District, Maddu Health Centre IV in Gomba District and Kiyunga Health Centre IV in Luuka District.

For Stanbic, the model demonstrates how corporate social investment can be amplified when companies work with government and other private-sector players rather than pursuing isolated interventions.

“At Stanbic Bank, we are proud to be associated with the safe motherhood campaign and to partner with like-minded entities such as MTN Uganda, committed to creating sustainable community development and driving inclusive growth,” Ondoga said.

The bank has also continued to support maternal and child health through other partnerships.

Recently, Stanbic committed UGX600 million over three years to Rotary Mama Toto Care Uganda, while it also committed UGX200 million to the second edition of the Independence Marathon.

Together, the initiatives point to a broader strategy in which Stanbic is using partnerships, financial commitments and targeted support to strengthen Uganda’s health system and contribute to reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

The post Partnerships Widen Reach of Stanbic’s Safe Motherhood Drive appeared first on 256 Business News.

Addis Ababa — Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing are strengthening the pipeline of aviation and engineering talent through a STEM programme that is giving Ethiopian secondary school students early exposure to careers in one of Africa’s fastest-growing industries.

The fourth edition of the annual Ethiopian Airlines-Boeing STEM School concluded last week after six weeks of training at the Ethiopian Aviation University, bringing together Grade 11 students from across Ethiopia.

Held from July 13 to August 21, the programme delivered more than 300 hours of immersive learning, with young women accounting for half of the participants.

The programme combines classroom instruction with internships, job shadowing, mentorship and field visits to aviation facilities, giving students practical exposure to the technologies and operations underpinning the aviation industry.

Students received training in coding, robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, alongside soft skills including teamwork, communication and problem-solving.

The programme also drew on Ethiopian Airlines’ operational facilities, with participants visiting the carrier’s cargo and maintenance, repair and overhaul operations as well as the Ethiopian Aviation University.

For the students, the exposure provides an opportunity to understand aviation careers beyond the cockpit.

One participant, 18-year-old Yoftahe Belete, said the programme enabled students to observe how aircraft are maintained and subjected to multiple inspections before returning to service.

Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew said investment in youth education was an investment in Ethiopia’s future, particularly as industries become increasingly dependent on technology and specialised skills.

The partnership with Boeing, he said, was helping equip young people with skills that could prepare them to become future leaders and innovators.

Boeing Managing Director for Africa Henok Teferra Shawl said Africa would require an estimated 75,000 new aviation professionals over the next 20 years, underscoring the importance of building the continent’s talent base alongside the expansion of airlines, fleets and aviation infrastructure.

Ethiopia is positioning itself as a major aviation hub, led by the rapid expansion of Ethiopian Airlines’ fleet and international network.

The STEM programme is therefore designed not only to introduce students to aviation careers but also to create a pool of young people with exposure to the digital and engineering skills increasingly required across the sector.

Beyond technical training, participants visited the National Palace Museum, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University and the Ethiopia Science Museum.

At the Science Museum, they interacted with an aerospace exhibition featuring a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight simulator, a replica of the Starliner spacecraft and models of the Space Launch System rocket and the International Space Station’s Cupola module.

The programme also incorporates alumni engagement, with students from previous cohorts returning to share experiences and mentor newer participants.

Since its launch in 2023, the Ethiopian Airlines-Boeing STEM School has reached more than 100 Ethiopian students, including 28 in this year’s cohort.

The programme is implemented in coordination with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education, with student selection aligned with national priorities in science and technology education.

For Ethiopia and the wider African aviation industry, the initiative highlights a growing recognition that fleet expansion and infrastructure investment will need to be matched by sustained investment in the engineers, technicians, digital specialists and other professionals required to operate and maintain the sector.

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