East African Business Notifier

BY PAUL TENTENA KAMPALA, UGANDA - Over the past decade, Uganda’s insurance industry has undergone a quiet but profound transformation. What was once a small, misunderstood sector is now a growing pillar of financial stability for households, businesses and the wider economy. Between 2014 and 2024, gross written premiums more than doubled, reaching about UGX 1.76 trillion in 2024, up from UGX 1.60 trillion in 2023. Life insurance has been especially dynamic, expanding faster than non-life. Yet behind these numbers is a deeper story: a decade of deliberate investment in operational resilience. According Brenda Nagudi, the Chief Operating Officer of the Uganda Insurers’ Association (UIA), f or years, success was measured mainly by premium growth. “ That lens is no longer enough. As products become more sophisticated and risks more complex, insurers must answer tougher questions: Can we pay claims quickly and fairly in the face of shocks? “ Can our systems withstand cyber-risks, ...

  Centenary Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) with Service Cops, formalizing a strategic technology and business partnership aimed at accelerating digital transformation, deepening financial inclusion, and expanding access to modern digital services across Uganda and the wider African region. Service Cops is a Pan African Technology Innovations and Outsourcing Solutions powerhouse that specializes in developing proprietary digital financial solutions, bespoke enterprise platforms and business outsourcing solutions for African markets and beyond. The partnership, coordinated at Group level through Centenary Technology Services (Cente-Tech), brings together Centenary Bank’s 40-year legacy of social-impact financial inclusion and Service Cops’ 16 years of expertise in enterprise technology, digital integrations, and large-scale systems deployment. Fabian Kasi the Centenary Bank Managing Director described the partnership as a pivotal moment not only for t...

BY PAUL TENTENA The COMESA Council of Ministers (the “Council”) has approved the COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations, 2025 (the “2025 Regulations”) and the COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Rules, 2025 (the “2025 Rules”) leading to the change of name of the formerly COMESA Competition Commission (CCC) to COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC). According to Ms. Meti Demissie Disasa , Registrar COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission , at its 46th meeting held on 4 December 2025, the COMESA Council of Ministers took the decision to repeal the former law, leading to the creation of the new entity. “ Pursuant to Regulation 84 of the 2025 Regulations read together with Rule 38 of the 2025 Rules, the 2025 Regulations and Rules shall take effect immediately after approval by the Council, that is, from 5 December 2025. “ Further, in accordance with Regulation 82 of the 2025 Regulations and Rule 39 of the 2025 Rules, the COMESA Competition Re...

  BY PAUL TENTENA KAMPALA, UGANDA- Saudi Arabia based company Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) has acquired 64.57% in Olam Agri Holdings Limited (Olam Agri), a deal that was okayed and approved by the COMESA Competition Commission (CCC). The deal was over US$50million and, was therefore mandatory to be notified to the COMESA Competition Commission. The CCC took the decision to allow the merger/acquisition after it determined that the merger was not likely to substantially prevent or lessen competition amongst the COMESA countries or substantial part of it, nor would be contrary to public interest. In its determination, the Committee Responsible for Initial Determination (CID) noted that the transaction was unlikely to negatively affect trade between the COMESA member states. In the approval notice signed by the Chairperson of the CID Commissioner Mahmoud Momtaz, they found that the merged entity would remain a marginal player in relevant markets a...

BY PAUL TENTENA The COMESA Council of Ministers has  launched the COMESA Investment Report 2025  which was developed by the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD ) in collaboration with the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA) .   The report provides a comprehensive assessment of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) dynamics in the region and presents evidence-based recommendations aligned with the COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2026–2030. In 2024, Foreign Direct Investment inflows to COMESA rose by 154 per cent to a record USD 65 billion, largely supported by Egypt’s Ras El-Hekma mega-project, but even excluding this project, FDI inflows would still have grown by 16 per cent, confirming a region-wide improvement in investor sentiment.  As a result, COMESA’s share in global FDI doubled, rising from 2 to 4 per cent, while its share in developing-economy inflows increased from 3 to 7 per cent, accounting for 67 per cent of total FDI inflows in Africa. This i...