By James Sserumaga

Uganda’s bancassurance industry is emerging as one of the strongest drivers of insurance penetration and financial inclusion, demonstrating remarkable growth as more individuals and businesses seek protection against an increasingly complex risk environment.

According to the latest industry performance report, Uganda’s 22 licensed bancassurance providers generated more than UGX 80.8 billion in Gross Written Premiums (GWP) during the first quarter of 2026. Equity Bank Uganda ranked fourth in the market, generating UGX 6.69 billion in premiums and capturing an 8.28 percent market share.

These figures reflect a broader shift in how Ugandans view insurance. Increasingly, insurance is no longer regarded as a product purchased only after a loss occurs. Instead, it is becoming an integral part of financial planning, helping individuals, families and businesses safeguard their future while recovering more quickly from unexpected setbacks.

Whether the risk arises from a medical emergency, an accident, business interruption, property damage, theft or cyber threats, insurance provides the financial resilience needed to preserve livelihoods, protect investments and sustain growth.

One of the key factors driving this transformation has been the rapid growth of bancassurance — the distribution of insurance products through banks. By bringing insurance closer to customers through institutions they already trust, bancassurance is helping overcome many of the barriers that have historically constrained insurance uptake, including limited access, low awareness and perceptions that insurance is complicated or only relevant to high-income earners.

The industry’s first-quarter performance illustrates this growing importance. Of the UGX 80.81 billion generated through bancassurance, UGX 62.89 billion, representing 78 percent, came from life insurance products, while UGX 17.92 billion, or 22 percent, was generated from general insurance. The trend suggests that both households and businesses are increasingly prioritising financial protection as part of their long-term planning.

For Equity Bank Uganda, bancassurance is more than an additional banking service. It is a strategic component of our broader mission to promote financial inclusion by helping customers not only build wealth but also protect it.

At Equity Bank Uganda, we believe that protecting what matters is just as important as creating wealth. Insurance enables customers to manage risk, absorb shocks and recover from unexpected events without losing years of financial progress.

Our own first-quarter performance reflects this growing demand. Of the UGX 6.69 billion generated in premiums, UGX 4.94 billion, representing 74 percent, came from life insurance products, while UGX 1.75 billion originated from general insurance solutions. This growing demand demonstrates that customers increasingly recognise the value of protecting income, assets, businesses and family wellbeing.

Over the past four years, Equity Bank Uganda has expanded access to insurance through its branch network, relationship managers, digital banking channels and the growing Equi-Duuka agency banking network. This integrated model allows customers to access insurance alongside savings, lending, payments and investment services, creating a more holistic approach to financial wellbeing.

Equally important has been the role of customer education. Insurance remains one of the least understood financial products across many developing markets. Yet as financial literacy improves, more customers are beginning to appreciate that insurance is not merely an expense but an investment in stability and resilience.

Today, customers require protection across a broad range of needs. Entrepreneurs seek cover for business assets and operations. Contractors require protection against project-related risks. Schools want safeguards for learners and staff. Families increasingly prioritise medical and life insurance to protect household finances.

To meet these evolving needs, Equity Bancassurance offers a wide range of solutions, including medical, life, personal accident, motor, property, burglary, fidelity guarantee, machinery breakdown, professional indemnity, contractors’ all-risk, public liability and specialised business risk protection products.

Demand is also growing among corporate clients. As Uganda’s economy becomes more sophisticated and interconnected, businesses are increasingly seeking comprehensive risk management solutions covering areas such as professional liability, cyber security, property protection, business interruption and employee medical benefits. These products are becoming essential tools for strengthening governance, protecting investments and enhancing organisational resilience.

Importantly, the role of banks in insurance distribution extends beyond policy sales. Financial institutions have a responsibility to help customers understand risk and make informed decisions about protecting their financial future. The objective is not simply to increase insurance uptake, but to improve financial security and economic resilience across households, enterprises and communities.

Looking ahead, technology is expected to accelerate the next phase of growth. Digital banking platforms, customer analytics and integrated financial ecosystems are making it easier to provide personalised insurance solutions that align with customers’ life stages, financial goals and risk profiles. Insurance is increasingly becoming a seamless component of the overall banking relationship rather than a standalone purchase.

The broader implication is significant. Bancassurance has the potential to play a central role in expanding insurance penetration across Uganda by leveraging trusted banking relationships to reach millions of customers who may otherwise remain underserved.

Financial wellbeing should not be measured solely by the ability to accumulate wealth. It should also be measured by the ability to protect it.

As Uganda’s bancassurance industry continues to mature, the opportunity before us is clear: to make financial protection more accessible, more affordable and more relevant to the needs of ordinary Ugandans. By doing so, we can help individuals, families and businesses build greater resilience, pursue opportunities with confidence and contribute to a more secure and inclusive economy.

 James Sserumaga is the Head of Bancassurance, Equity Bank Uganda

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Twenty years after the passing of former Principal Judge and Supreme Court Justice Arthur Haggai Okello Oder, family members, judicial officers and Uganda’s legal fraternity gathered to honour a man whose life remains synonymous with integrity, fairness and unwavering commitment to the rule of law.

The memorial service, held at All Saints’ Cathedral, Nakasero, on Sunday, June 28, was more than an occasion to remember a distinguished judge. It became a reflection on the values that sustain strong institutions and a reminder that the Judiciary’s greatest inheritance is the character of those who serve it.

In a tribute released to mark the anniversary, Justice Oder’s family described him as a jurist whose influence extended well beyond the courtroom.

“A distinguished Judge of the Supreme Court of Uganda, Justice Oder dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, integrity and service to humanity,” the family said.

They remembered him not only as a respected judge, but also as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend whose compassion reached far beyond his immediate family.

“Though twenty years have passed since his departure, our father’s values remain firmly rooted in our hearts. The life lessons he imparted, his passion for uplifting others and his witty sense of humour are qualities we frequently draw from,” the family noted.

They added that his legacy of integrity, humility, service and commitment to doing what was right continues to inspire generations.

That message resonated throughout the memorial service.

Paying tribute, retired Justice Okumu Wengi Richard urged Ugandans to remember not only Justice Oder but also the generation of judicial pioneers who helped build the country’s legal institutions.

“As we remember Justice Arthur Haggai Okello Oder, we also remember other great justices, including Harold Platt, George W. Kanyeihamba and others who served this nation with distinction,” he said.

Justice Okumu also paid tribute to former Chief Justices Benjamin Odoki and Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, congratulating them for their service to the Judiciary and wishing them continued good health.

Justice Benjamin Odoki

His remarks reflected a broader concern that Uganda’s judicial history should be preserved alongside ongoing efforts to modernise the administration of justice.

Justice Oder occupies a unique place in that history.

Before serving on the Supreme Court, he chaired the Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights, which investigated abuses committed between 1962 and 1986. The commission’s work became a significant milestone in Uganda’s post-conflict efforts to strengthen constitutional governance, accountability and respect for human rights.

He later served as Principal Judge before joining the Supreme Court, where he participated in several landmark constitutional and presidential election petitions that helped shape Uganda’s jurisprudence. Throughout his judicial career, he earned a reputation for independence, intellectual rigour and principled decision-making.

Justice Oder died in June 2006 while still serving on the Supreme Court, bringing to an end a distinguished legal career that left a lasting imprint on Uganda’s justice system.

Yet messaging at the memorial suggested that his greatest legacy lies not only in the judgments he wrote, but in the example he set.

At a time when institutions around the world are increasingly judged by public trust, Justice Oder’s life was presented as evidence that the strength of a judiciary ultimately depends on the integrity, humility and courage of the individuals entrusted with dispensing justice.

As Uganda continues to reform its legal system and expand access to justice, the memorial served as a reminder that progress is measured not only by new laws or modern court infrastructure, but also by preserving the values of those who laid the foundations of the country’s constitutional order.

Twenty years after his passing, Justice Arthur Haggai Okello Oder’s legacy remains woven into the fabric of Uganda’s Judiciary—a testament to a life in which justice was not simply a profession, but a public trust faithfully upheld.

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By Asiya Muhammed

Uganda’s industrialisation story is compelling. Starting from Kampala Industrial to Business Park at Namanve, Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara, etc, factories are producing products ranging from medicine, steel, textiles, and food products at a scale that was difficult to imagine 20 years ago. As of the 2023/24 financial year, over 625 companies had been allocated land within Uganda Investment Authority’s industrial parks, with nearly 300 fully operational and more than 122,000 jobs created.

On this World Environment Day, with the UN’s #NowForClimate campaign urging every sector to send a signal back to an Earth already in crisis, Uganda’s industrial community faces a question its growth narrative often sidesteps: where is all the industrial waste going? Every factory that opens creates a waste stream. Every litre of effluent, every drum of solvents, every tonne of manufacturing residue must go somewhere. The question is whether it is going somewhere responsible or whether the cost of Uganda’s industrial ambition is being quietly transferred to its rivers, wetlands, and the communities living closest to its parks.

Namanve is instructive precisely because it is Uganda’s flagship zone. Studies indicate that industries in the park discharged effluents into the Namanve stream without adequate treatment, with contamination indicators flowing downstream toward the inner Murchison Bay of Lake Victoria a critical fishery and drinking water source for millions. The structural problem is familiar: waste management at the park has been largely individualised, each factory handling its own disposal, leading to inconsistency and predictable failures.

Uganda has a credible legal framework. The National Environment Act No. 5 of 2019 and the National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations S.I. No. 49 of 2020 place clear obligations on waste generators, with NEMA as the principal enforcement authority. The recent court conviction of PRO Industries for polluting the Ngaju wetland shows enforcement is possible. The challenge is scaling it commensurate with industrial expansion which requires funding, personnel, and political will to act against economically significant actors.

The Hidden Cost That Business Must Price In

Irresponsible industrial waste management is not simply an environmental failure it is a deferred cost that will eventually be paid, by someone. When effluents flows to Lake Victoria the fishing communities bear the immediate loss. When wetlands near industrial parks are degraded, the flood buffering and water filtration they provide disappear, raising costs for the broader urban economy. Workers in informal waste chain process industrial by-products without protection, they at a higher health risk. The regulatory frameworks for these waste streams are still catching up.

Uganda is moving forward with industrial and infrastructure expansion. The recently announced UGX 1.4 trillion (approximately $400 million) waste-to-power project at Namanve Industrial Park and is expected to process upto1,500 tonnes of waste daily and generate 45 megawatts for the national grid, once operational. It deserves both support and scrutiny: support because it demonstrates that waste management and economic value creation can be the same investment; scrutiny because waste-to-energy through incineration is only as clean as its emission standards, flue gas treatment, and ash management. The business community and civil society should insist on transparent, independently verified environmental monitoring as a non-negotiable condition of the project’s social licence.

For Uganda’s industrial parks, responsibility starts with infrastructure designed before investors arrive, not retrofitted after problems emerge. Each park needs a centralised effluent treatment facility with mandatory participation, independently monitored and publicly disclosed. Hazardous waste streams require digital chain-of-custody from generator to NEMA-licensed facility. At the firm level, waste audits type, volume, disposal route, compliance status should be standard practice and disclosed to investors. ESG expectations from international capital markets are moving in this direction regardless; Ugandan industry would be prudent to get ahead of it rather than be caught short.

Growth That Lasts

Uganda’s industrial ambition is legitimate. The jobs at Namanve and beyond are real improvements in real lives. The argument here is not against industrialisation it is for industrialisation built to last. Growth that contributes to contamination risk in Lake Victoria’s inflows, degrades Kampala’s flood-buffering wetlands, and externalises its costs onto fishing communities is not sustainable growth. It is growth that borrows from the future.

This World Environment Day, the #NowForClimate signal Uganda’s industrial sector has the opportunity to send is clear: that economic growth and environmental responsibility are not a trade-off, but a standard to be met simultaneously. Industrial growth without matched waste management infrastructure is not a development model. It is a debt ledger with the environment as the borrower and future generations as the guarantor.

About the Author

Asiya Muhammed Kochuveettil is associated with Mc Clelland Engineers Pvt Ltd. With a background in research and a commitment to sustainable industrial practices, she brings a cross-functional perspective to compliance, environmental safety, and operational infrastructure. She is also a Member of the Royal Society of Biology (UK).

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After another year of fast-paced innovation, media managers, experts and academics posed a few tough questions at this year’s Nordic AI in Media Summit (NAMS), hosted at the JP/Politikens former printing press. Both the ink-stained walls and the lyrics of Video Killed the Radio Star served as reminders that the news industry has survived previous rounds of technological changes. But Canadian AI expert Nikita Roy warned the audiences that survival is not a given: “Awareness is not immunity.”

The fourth edition of the summit, hosted in Copenhagen by the Nordic AI Journalism Network, shifted the focus from tools and experiments to some of the more fundamental issues AI is surfacing for the news industry. What will the news economy look like? What (and who) will be automated? What will journalism mean in the age of AI? Speakers and attendees agreed the jury is out for all of these questions. Or at least, no one has definitive answers for them yet.

NAMS is led by Olle Zachrison, head of news AI for BBC News, Kasper Lindskow and Sara Inkeri Vardar from JP/Politikens Media Group, and Agnes Stenbom Swedling from Schibsted, who until recently was a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute.

The summit included keynote lectures by experts such as Ezra Eeman from NPO, Nikita Roy from Newsroom Robots and our senior research associate Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, now at the University of Copenhagen. There were also presentations of AI projects and tools from many organisations, and breakout sessions targeting specific issues, with most of the latter held under Chatham House rules.

If you couldn’t be in Copenhagen this week, here are five key takeaways from the summit, ranging from broad questions on how AI will change the future of journalism to more practical takeaways from newsrooms navigating these changes. You will soon be able to catch up with the conference programme in full here.

1. It’s time for a radical reimagining of the news economy

The impact of AI will bring a fundamental restructuring of both the supply and demand side of the news economy, said Shuwei Fang, a Shorenstein Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. As she explained in this powerful essay we published in March, she predicts four paradigm shifts: scarcity to abundance, a human audience to a machine audience, attention to intention, and artefacts to liquid content.

She believes these shifts will result in significant changes for the news ecosystem. For example, news production could shift from a “stock model,” where a news product is first produced and subsequently consumed by users, to a “flow model” where content is crafted at the moment of consumption specifically for a particular user.

Another shift could be news going from a B2C product to B2A2C (business to agent to consumer). Here, the “A” layer includes multiple agents with different needs in their own right, depending on their purpose.

The ecosystem emerging can produce answers to extremely niche, detailed questions addressing individuals’ needs, Fang said. While this presents opportunities, the distance that AI creates between audiences and news organisations could alienate publishers from important information about what audiences need from them.

Fang also predicted that the market for news could start to bifurcate between luxury and commodity, with extremes at either end and a hollowed-out middle. The luxury end would be defined by intangible qualities like brand identity and trust, with offerings like member communities and shared live experiences. The commodity end will be defined by infrastructure and integration.

There would be AI and human presence across both ends of the spectrum. The middle, where most news organisations sit today, would be dangerous ground, Fang said.

Despite the risks inherent to the scenarios she painted, Fang is not a pessimist. “The market for knowledge could get much bigger,” she said, with possible expansion both on the supply and demand side. Opportunities include lower production costs and the possibility to use AI to reach underserved audiences.

However, the value brought by AI may not be evenly distributed, and power could concentrate in a handful of players. For news organisations thinking about how to position themselves for the future, Fang heeded a warning: “Be suspicious of solutions that require the least amount of change.”

2. It’s also time to rethink what journalism is

If the news industry is to reorient itself in light of AI, it will need to redefine itself. “People don’t want news, as in facts, but they might want sensemaking,” said Florent Daudens, CEO and co-founder of Mizal AI, a startup offering production agents for media companies. This is why Substack is growing even as other forms of media struggle, he said.

Facts might not be a great bet in a news ecosystem increasingly mediated by AI either, Daudens said, as tech companies could get them by striking a deal with a single newswire.

This thought was echoed by Fang: there’s so much free information online such as research and press releases that AI companies could draw from, and that, for some, may be indistinguishable from journalism by news organisations.

Nikita Roy suggested we are at a turning point that, if missed, could spell disaster for the news industry. “We are in our Nokia and Kodak moment, where we are looking at a new product but thinking with the metrics of an old product,” she warned. Instead of worrying about how to recover lost web traffic and otherwise defend the status quo, we need to leave behind old assumptions.

AI is disrupting something more fundamental, Roy said: how information moves, how value is captured, what it means to be a media company.

This is a bigger shift than the one from print to digital, as then the role of the publisher remained largely the same. To Roy, publishers may be approaching this from a loss perspective, feeling their losses but not considering what they could gain.

Echoing Fang, she also asked those present to consider the people they could reach that it had not been possible to serve before. “We mistake the container for journalism,” she said, referring to an article, a podcast episode or a newsletter issue. And then she asked a fundamental question: “If you knew nothing about websites, but you knew people still needed verified information to navigate their lives, what would you build?”

A slide from Nikita Roy’s presentation. Image courtesy of NAMS.

3. Agents might be the future

Agents took centre stage at this year’s summit. In a future when many people navigate the web with their own personal agent, as David Caswell outlined in an essay we published last year, publishers’ relationships with audiences would be mediated through this middle layer.

Florent Daudens described how agents would surf the web on behalf of the humans they serve, visiting websites, extracting and repackaging information according to their person’s wants and needs. They may even be authorised to pay for news, in a sort of micropayment system as suggested by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a recent conversation with the Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson.

For news publishers, this would mean learning how to embed instructions for agents on their websites, instructing them on how to use their content, and working out how to serve information to agents in a way that would preserve the organisation’s tone and identity.

Key to this is keeping your data in order, which isn’t something many news organisations have prioritised until now. “Very few news organisations structure their data properly, and that’s a huge problem,” said consultant Madhav Chinnappa, until recently a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute.

Roy described how this kind of future might work. In this new world, “you no longer need to be found, you need to be worth monitoring,” she said. Publishers would find themselves creating for two audiences: humans and agents. The latter wouldn’t only be the personal agents Daudens suggested, but also platform agents, newsroom agents, and even adversarial agents.

“By the time agents are reliable enough, it will be too late. We can’t wait and see. We need to experiment now, as much as we can,” Roy warned.

This might still seem far-fetched to some, but agents have already improved substantially over the last year, with the biggest impact on coding.

Agents also began playing a role in newsroom AI tools. Norwegian local media network Polaris Media Vest uses agentic as well as vibe coding for a range of journalistic tools and widgets, some of which non-coding reporters built, said Kaja Distad, head of editorial development.

In Schibsted, video experts taught an agent to work like them to develop a tool now used to convert any content from its subsidiary VG into a social-ready video. Football World Cup-focused chatbots developed by Swedish tabloid rivals Aftonbladet and Expressen both use agentic workflows. Danish publisher Bonnier’s new internal tool Flows allows journalists to set up their own agentic systems, combining research, extraction and planning, decision and writing. This tool is used, for example, to monitor, summarise and notify them of a story they may want to cover. In some ways, agents are already here.

4. Large legacy newsrooms send out nimble explorers

Characterised both as speedboats sailing ahead of a large ship and as light drones compared to heavy tanks, legacy newsrooms shared how they are using relatively small and fast-moving AI experiments to test out new ideas while protecting their core brand.

The military analogy was shared by Amalie Kestler, editor-in-chief of Politiken, the Danish newspaper in whose former printing press the meeting was held. Newsrooms can be run like tanks, heavy and slow with a centralised hierarchy, she explained. Or they can be run like drones, light and quick. The tank model has its place, but in some cases newsrooms should opt for the drone approach.

For Politiken, AI experimentation has expanded beyond data journalism and its multiuse tool Magna into the quick-paced vibe coding, leading to interactive widgets to encourage audiences to engage with news stories.

An eye-catching example was the “death machine”, which asks users to input information about their lifestyle and uses statistics to predict when they will die. At the same time, Politiken is also highlighting the human aspects to its journalism with video podcasts and live debates.

Gard Steiro, editor-in-chief and CEO of Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG), built upon past NAMS presentations to make the case for moving on from experimentation to scaling. For him, this also means doubling down on the human touch that AI cannot replace in journalism. “There are people out there who need to be met at eye level and tell their stories, and rest assured that Sam Altman doesn’t give a damn about them,” he said.

Steiro also sees a great need for change to make the most of the opportunities afforded by AI. “If we don’t make an effort to change, the untapped potential will be so great that any startup will overtake us,” he said.

Legacy newsrooms are slow like large ships, so VG is sending out speedboats to test the waters. These include VG X, a new app-based news service that replaces articles with summarised information updated around the clock and managed almost entirely by AI, using a clustering algorithm to group together VG articles and videos into stories. As there is no CMS, editors can request changes directly in the product, akin to talking to it.

Another of these speedboats is VG Lab, an internal tool to quickly test ideas and get an assessment of whether VG could execute it, whether there’s a market for it, how much it would cost, and what similar offerings exist around the world. This is led by two people and a team of agents, and led to the creation of Norway’s fastest growing app last autumn, Steiro said.

Gard Steiro’s presentation. Image courtesy of NAMS.

5. What do audiences want?

An underlying motif pervaded the summit: the idea that AI could be used by publishers to get a better idea of what their audiences want and need through a new ability to ask direct questions.

Daudens mentioned this as an advantage of personal agents: by looking at what agents are seeking out from websites, publishers may figure out areas that require further reporting. Also by analysing how audiences use AI chatbots and the kinds of questions they ask, news organisations can know what kinds of stories they want more of.

In a panel discussion moderated by our researcher Felix Simon, the conversation turned to the importance of building relationships with the audience. “We can create as much journalism as we want, but if people don’t want to be sources, or don’t want to read us, there’s no point,” said Stine Thorsgaard Kjær, head of innovation and development at TV2 Østjylland.

There is a potential problem for journalists who use AI. In a closing keynote, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen asked a key question posed by the Reuters Institute’s survey data: audiences tend to be sceptical of AI in journalism.

It could be that journalists who want to use AI and be explicit about their use aren’t making a good case for this to the public, he suggested. If we want to both use AI and foster trust, there are many factors that contribute to trust that have very little if anything to do with technology. As our Trust in News Project found, it’s about brand, presentation, language, bias, factual accuracy.

“It remains really important that you, as a professional community of practice, continue to judge your own work by your own standards” when it comes to AI use, Nielsen said. But that’s only one leg of value and trust, and probably not the most important one. The second, he added, is a public test: the need to convince members of the public, “what is in it for us?”

Marina Adami writes articles on the future of journalism worldwide and occasionally works with the Reuters Institute’s research team. 

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Dr. Kiyonga has dedicated many years to public service with commitment, integrity, and professionalism. His vast experience in leadership, public administration, and governance makes him exceptionally qualified for this responsibility, and I am confident that he will continue to serve our country with distinction.

I also wish to express my appreciation to His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for this thoughtful appointment. The decision reflects wisdom and confidence in a leader whose record of service, patriotism, and dedication to national development speaks for itself.

As Dr. Kiyonga assumes his new duties, I wish him every success and God’s guidance in the execution of his responsibilities for the benefit of Uganda and its people.

Justice (rtd) Richard Okumu-Wengi

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For decades, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) across Africa has largely revolved around donations, charity drives, and short-term community interventions. While these initiatives remain important, they rarely create long-term systemic transformation. Increasingly, the future of impactful corporate responsibility lies in sustainable investments that develop people, strengthen institutions, and shape future economies.

This is why the Equity Leaders Program (ELP), an initiative under Equity Group Foundation, stands out as one of the most compelling models of modern CSR on the continent. At its core, the Equity Leaders Program is not simply a scholarship initiative. It is a deliberate investment in human capital, leadership development, and socio-economic transformation.

By identifying academically exceptional students from across Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the program is intentionally building a pipeline of future African leaders equipped with the skills, exposure, and networks required to compete globally while transforming their communities locally.

In Uganda alone, Equity Bank recently commissioned 100 scholars into the fifth cohort of the program, bringing the total number of scholars supported to 512 since the initiative launched in the country in 2022. At the same event, the bank celebrated the graduation of 81 scholars from the maiden cohort who completed studies in disciplines ranging from Engineering and Statistics to Law and Technology.

What makes ELP fundamentally different from traditional CSR models is its long-term, ecosystem-driven approach. Instead of offering temporary support, the initiative provides scholars with mentorship, leadership development, paid internships, career coaching, networking opportunities, and university counselling support that extends throughout their academic journey.

The internship component alone is a powerful example of shared value creation. Scholars undergo a 3–6 month paid internship within Equity Bank branches and departments, gaining practical workplace exposure, professional discipline, and hands-on experience early in their careers. This simultaneously allows the institution to identify, nurture, and build relationships with highly talented young professionals who may later contribute to the workforce and broader economy.

For businesses, this is where CSR becomes strategic rather than symbolic. Companies investing in youth empowerment are not merely supporting communities; they are investing in future talent, future innovators, future consumers, and future leaders.

The program’s results are already measurable. Across the region, ELP scholars have secured admissions to some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including Harvard University, New York University, University of Waterloo, University of Delhi, Moscow Aviation Institute, universities in China, and Frankfurt University, all through fully funded scholarships and global university pathways facilitated under the program.

This global exposure matters immensely for Africa’s future. Many scholars return with international networks, technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and a broader worldview that directly contributes to local industries and institutions. In effect, the program is strengthening Africa’s future leadership and innovation ecosystem.

Importantly, the Equity Leaders Program also demonstrates the power of inclusive CSR. Scholars are selected from districts across Uganda and the wider region, ensuring that opportunities extend beyond traditional urban centres and elite schools. This creates social mobility, bridges opportunity gaps, and gives talented young people from underserved communities access to life-changing opportunities.

Modern stakeholders increasingly expect companies to demonstrate authentic and measurable social impact. Consumers, employees, investors, and regulators are no longer impressed by visibility-driven CSR campaigns with little long-term value. Programs like ELP resonate because their outcomes are tangible, transformational, and deeply human.

As Equity Bank Uganda Managing Director Gift Shoko recently noted during the commissioning ceremony, the program is “not only supporting academic excellence but also nurturing leaders who will drive innovation, integrity, and sustainable growth for Uganda.” That statement captures the broader significance of the initiative: this is not charity; it is nation-building.

The program’s success also highlights a broader lesson for corporate Africa: meaningful CSR requires ecosystem thinking. Financial support alone is not enough. Young people require mentorship, coaching, workplace exposure, leadership development, emotional intelligence, and access to professional networks if they are to successfully transition into leadership and economic participation.

Africa possesses one of the youngest populations in the world. This demographic reality presents either one of the continent’s greatest risks or its greatest opportunity, depending on how institutions respond. Companies that intentionally invest in education, leadership, innovation, and employability will play a defining role in shaping Africa’s future competitiveness.

The Equity Leaders Program proves that corporate responsibility can move beyond philanthropy and become a strategic driver of sustainable development, economic inclusion, and leadership transformation. If more corporate organizations adopted this approach, CSR would no longer be viewed as a compliance obligation or public relations exercise. It would become what it was always meant to be: a long-term investment in shared prosperity, institutional growth, and the future of society itself.

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Every year on May 22, the world commemorates the United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity, a moment dedicated to raising awareness about the accelerating loss of species and ecosystems across the planet.

The day serves as a global call to action, reminding humanity that protecting biodiversity is not simply an environmental concern, but a necessity for food security, clean water, public health, and climate stability.

This year’s theme, “Acting locally for global impact,” underscores a powerful reality: ambitious global conservation frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will only succeed if they are implemented at the grassroots level. Lasting environmental change is not forged in conference halls alone; it is achieved in communities where people actively restore and protect the ecosystems around them.

For the last 27 years, the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) has embodied this principle. By channeling international climate finance directly to Ugandan smallholder farmers, the organization has demonstrated that empowering local communities remains one of the most effective pathways to protecting biodiversity while improving livelihoods.

At the heart of this effort is ECOTRUST’s Trees for Global Benefits (TGB) program, which operationalizes the core message of this year’s biodiversity theme. By aggregating thousands of small-scale restoration efforts undertaken by individual households, the program transforms localized action into measurable landscape-level impact.

Through its performance-based payment model, conservation financing has been decentralized, enabling rural families to directly benefit from restoring degraded ecosystems while strengthening household incomes.

To date, more than 51,000 households across 26 districts in Uganda have benefited from the initiative. By integrating indigenous trees into family farming systems, participating farmers have restored over 34,000 hectares of land, creating a growing woodland network projected to sequester approximately 7.518 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Yet biodiversity protection cannot be sustained without socioeconomic resilience. Communities struggling with poverty, food insecurity, and water scarcity are unlikely to prioritize conservation unless environmental protection is directly linked to economic opportunity.

Recognizing this reality, ECOTRUST supports communities to establish sustainable enterprises such as beekeeping and shea nut production, allowing households to generate reliable incomes while conserving fragile ecosystems.

These interventions provide tangible evidence of how local action delivers global environmental outcomes.

In the Murchison-Semliki landscape, for example, ECOTRUST works with private landowners to restore fragmented forest corridors, reconnecting isolated habitats and securing migratory pathways for endangered chimpanzees while reducing human-wildlife conflict along agricultural frontiers.

Further north, the organization’s newly launched Transformative Approach to Sustainable Landscapes and Livelihoods (TASLL) project is extending this community-centered conservation model into the climate-vulnerable Agoro-Agu region.

Supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the initiative seeks to conserve 65,000 hectares of natural forest through the planting of six million mixed native trees. Importantly, the project integrates marginalized groups within the Palabek Refugee Settlement, ensuring that biodiversity conservation also advances social inclusion and community resilience.

To sustain and scale these efforts, ECOTRUST is also helping reshape environmental markets beyond traditional carbon financing.

During this year’s Uganda Water and Environment Week, the organization unveiled its Nature Credit Solutions framework, an innovative model designed to reward communities for safeguarding watersheds, restoring ecosystems, and developing nature-positive enterprises such as sustainable wild beekeeping.

ECOTRUST’s 27-year journey offers an important lesson for governments, financiers, conservation actors, and development partners alike: when local communities are trusted, empowered, and economically included in environmental stewardship, the benefits extend far beyond national borders.

Ultimately, global biodiversity restoration will not be achieved through policy declarations alone. It will be secured through millions of localized actions led by communities whose daily lives remain deeply connected to the health of nature itself.

Dr. Diana Nalwanga is the Head of Biodiversity at the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST)

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As Uganda approaches the long-anticipated milestone of first oil, it does so at a moment of profound contradiction in the global energy narrative. On one hand, the world is accelerating toward a low-carbon future, with growing consensus around the need to scale renewable energy.

On the other, recent geopolitical shocks—including tensions in the Middle East—have once again exposed the fragility of global energy systems and the enduring centrality of oil to economic stability.

If the global economy were truly ready to transition at pace, this would have been the moment. Instead, what we have witnessed is a sharp reminder: oil remains deeply embedded in the architecture of global growth. It is within this context that Uganda’s energy journey must be understood.

A balanced path in a polarised debate

In the years leading up to first oil, Uganda’s ambitions have faced strong resistance from sections of the international community, particularly around investments such as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Critics have argued for an accelerated pivot away from fossil fuels.

These concerns are not without merit. Climate change is real, urgent, and demands decisive global action. However, the pathway to a low-carbon future is neither linear nor uniform. For emerging economies—especially in Africa—the transition must be pragmatic, sequenced, and inclusive.

At Stanbic Bank Uganda and by extension Standard Bank Group, our position has been consistent: support a just and patient energy transition—one that invests in the future of renewables while recognising the present-day role of fossil fuels in unlocking growth, industrialisation, and energy access. Uganda’s first oil is not a contradiction of the energy transition. It is part of it.

From resource extraction to economic transformation

The true measure of Uganda’s oil and gas sector will not be the number of barrels produced, but the extent to which it catalyses structural transformation across the economy.

At Stanbic, our commitment to projects such as EACOP is anchored in our purpose: “Uganda is our home, we drive her growth.” This is not merely about financing infrastructure—it is about enabling a broader ecosystem of value creation.

Through the establishment of a dedicated Oil and Gas Department, we have built the institutional capability required to support a complex and highly regulated sector. More importantly, we are working to ensure that the economic benefits of oil extend beyond extraction.

“A nation’s resources belong to its people. The opportunity before us is to ensure that the oil dollar circulates within our economy—creating enterprises, jobs, and enduring prosperity.”

Building local capacity for lasting impact

Local content remains central to this ambition. Through the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL), in partnership with the African Development Bank, more than 200 Ugandan enterprises have attained internationally recognised ISO certification.

This is a critical step in transforming local firms from peripheral participants into competitive suppliers within the oil and gas value chain. This is how resource wealth becomes national wealth.

There is no doubt that oil presents a significant economic opportunity. The International Monetary Fund projects that Uganda’s GDP growth could rise sharply with the onset of production.

Yet history offers clear lessons: without strong institutions and prudent financial management, resource wealth can introduce volatility.

Stanbic’s role therefore extends beyond capital provision. We provide risk management, transactional banking, and advisory solutions designed to help both public and private sector players navigate price fluctuations, manage foreign exchange exposure, and build long-term resilience.

Our platinum sponsorship of the annual Oil & Gas Convention—organised by the Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Uganda National Oil Company—reflects our belief that sustained dialogue is essential to sector maturity.

As the industry transitions from planning to execution, collaboration between government, investors, and local enterprises will be critical in ensuring that Uganda fully realises the promise of first oil.

Beyond first oil

Energy independence is not an endpoint—it is a foundation. Uganda’s first oil should be viewed not as a departure from the future, but as a bridge to it. Revenues generated today can—and must—be reinvested into renewable energy, infrastructure, and human capital to power the next phase of growth.

The global energy transition will take time. And until it is fully realised, oil will remain a central pillar of economic activity.

Uganda is stepping into that reality with clarity and conviction. At Stanbic Bank, we are proud to stand alongside the nation—not only financing its energy future but helping to shape it. We are not just banking the oil. We are banking on Uganda.

The author is Chief Executive at Stanbic Bank Uganda, a member of the Standard Bank Group.

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For many women, banking is more than opening an account or taking a loan. It is about accessing financial services that understand their realities, support their ambitions, and respond to the responsibilities they carry every day. This is why customer experience has become a critical factor in enabling financial institutions to better serve women and support their participation in the economy.

Women interact with financial services differently depending on their stage in life, profession, and responsibilities. Financial institutions must therefore design solutions that respond to these diverse realities.

A young professional woman, for example, may focus on loans to support education or career growth. A single mother might prioritize flexible loans, savings plans, or healthcare support for her children. A lactating mother visiting a bank may value a private space to breastfeed comfortably, while an expectant mother may prefer quick service to avoid standing for long periods.

Women entrepreneurs—market vendors, micro-entrepreneurs, or small business owners—often need a trusted person who can explain financial products in simple, relatable terms. Many rely on their businesses to support their families and appreciate having someone they can contact for guidance on loan repayments or business challenges.

At the same time, women with demanding careers often prefer fast, reliable digital services. Limited time makes convenient, efficient banking platforms essential, allowing them to complete transactions quickly and confidently. Understanding these varying needs helps financial institutions create services that are accessible, respectful, and genuinely helpful.

Despite progress, many women still face barriers to financial inclusion. Limited financial literacy remains a major challenge, particularly for women in the informal sector. Without clear information about financial products, they struggle to fully leverage available services.

Another obstacle is collateral requirements. Cultural norms often restrict women from inheriting property such as land, which is typically needed for loans. Mobility can also be a barrier for women without easy access to transport to reach financial institutions.

Customer experience teams can help address these challenges in several ways. Financial education, delivered in simple language and, where possible, in local languages, equips women to understand and use financial services effectively. Community workshops and discussions focused on women’s financial empowerment also make a difference.

Equity Bank Uganda, for instance, runs initiatives such as Equi-Mama, designed to support women entrepreneurs and mothers with tailored financial solutions. Platforms like the Abakyala Ku Ntiiko event allow women to share experiences, learn from one another, and gain practical knowledge that strengthens their businesses.

Empathy is central to good customer service. Staff must be trained to treat every customer with dignity, fairness, and respect. Engaging women in product development through surveys, feedback sessions, and focus groups ensures financial products truly respond to their needs. Institutions should also pay attention to women who may require additional support, including expectant mothers, elderly women, or mothers with young children. When customers feel understood, trust in financial institutions grows.

Creating a positive and inclusive customer experience encourages women to participate confidently in the financial system. Supported women are more likely to save, invest, and grow their businesses, strengthening their financial independence while contributing to the growth of families, communities, and national economies. Women entrepreneurs, in particular, play a key role in sustaining households and creating opportunities for others.

As we celebrate Women’s Month, it is vital to recognize the role women play in shaping the future. Every financial decision, whether small or large, contributes to building stronger communities and more inclusive economies. Women should continue investing in themselves, supporting one another, and pursuing their goals with confidence. Their contributions today lay the foundation for a stronger, more equitable future for all.

Jael Christine Wawulira is the Head of Customer Experience at Equity Bank Uganda

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Members of the White House Faith Office during a prayer in the Oval Office. At the centre: Donald Trump. In red at his side: his spiritual advisor, Paula White-Cain.

Donald Trump is often labelled a fascist, and for good reason. However, the religious justifications for the war in Iran, his delusions of grandeur, and his fixations suggest that his true role models are far more ancient.

Consider this quote: “In the name of Jesus, we command that all satanic pregnancies miscarry.”

These words were spoken by Paula White-Cain, the “spiritual advisor” to the current US President. She also heads Donald Trump’s White House Faith Office. White is one of numerous evangelical entrepreneurs who, under the guise of religiosity, not only spread absolute insanity but also amass great wealth through their own churches and television shows. –

Donald Trump discovered his current faith advisor on television: he watched her show and hired her. White’s predecessor is currently imprisoned for the sexual abuse of a twelve-year-old. White positioned herself early on, declaring publicly in 2017 that Trump had been “raised up by God,” adding: “It is God who raises up a king.”

At the Heart of the Priestly Circle

White also appears in a clip that circulated through social media last week. In it, Trump sits at his desk in the Oval Office, surrounded by 18 men and two women—all “pastors.” Most are touching one another; hands raised in blessing.

Trump is the centre of this priestly cluster. Seemingly entranced by his own anointed status, he sits with closed eyes and folded hands. Blessing hands rest on his shoulders and back, including, of course, those of Paula White. As the only person in a room full of dark suits wearing a red blazer, she is impossible to miss.

The Concept of Divine Right

The “Divine Right of Kings” is a historical concept often associated with the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly the era of Absolutism. It suggested that a ruler’s authority was derived directly from a higher power rather than from the will of the people or earthly institutions. Louis XIV of France, known as the “Sun King,” was a primary proponent of this ideology, which placed the monarch above the jurisdiction of ordinary courts.

Observers of modern American politics have noted certain parallels in contemporary rhetoric. The idea that a leader is beyond the reach of “earthly jurisdiction” or that executive power should be absolute mirrors these historical precedents.

Mercantilism and Modern Trade

Parallels also extend to economic policy. Under Louis XIV, France practiced mercantilism, a system designed to increase national wealth by maximizing exports and minimizing imports through high tariffs. The current emphasis on protectionist trade policies and significant import duties reflects a similar approach to national economic management.

The Evolution of the “Court”

In absolute monarchies, the ruler was surrounded by a loyal court of nobility who provided both financial support and public flattery. In a modern democratic context, some argue that a new form of “neo-feudalism” is emerging, where high-net-worth individuals and influential supporters fill a similar role, funding political movements and reinforcing the leader’s standing.

Historical Context and the Constitution

The authors of the United States Constitution were deeply familiar with the excesses of absolute power in Europe. A central goal of the American experiment was to create a system of checks and balances to ensure that such uncontrolled rule would be impossible. The success of this framework remains a subject of intense scrutiny during pivotal election cycles.

This article has been adapted from Der Spiegel

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