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The Next Phase of Uganda’s Growth Will Depend on Where Capital Flows

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By Kaziro Kyambadde Uganda’s next phase of economic transformation will not be determined simply by how much capital the country can mobilize, but by where that capital flows, what it finances and what it ultimately enables. The Ugandan economy has given us reason for confidence. Growth has held at a strong pace, estimated at around 6.3 to 6.4 percent in both FY 2024/25 and FY 2025/26, and private-sector credit continues to expand. But growth and credit volumes alone do not tell us whether financing is reaching the businesses that will define Uganda’s next decade. Bank of Uganda data show commercial-bank shilling lending rates sitting in the high teens, reported at around 18.9 percent in April 2026, with some easing since. At that cost, financing struggles to reach investments whose returns are measured in years rather than months. The real debate is not only how much credit is available, but what it enables, and whether it can be made affordable and patient enough for investments that...
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Protecting the luxury experience: How physical security is evolving in high-end retail

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By Quintin Roberts, regional sales manager, Genetec Luxury retail has always faced unique security challenges. High-value merchandise has long made high-end boutiques, jewelry stores, and fashion houses attractive targets for theft. Today, however, security leaders are managing a broader and more complex set of risks. Unlike many other retail environments, luxury stores are designed around personal service, exclusivity, and carefully curated customer experiences. Security decisions must support those objectives rather than compete with them. Organized retail crime now involves increasingly coordinated and sophisticated attacks. Some attacks are carefully planned and target distribution centers or manufacturing facilities. Others are opportunistic, involving groups that enter a boutique, seize merchandise, and leave within minutes. At the same time, luxury brands must protect employees, maintain customer confidence, and preserve the premium experience that distinguishes their stores. Ph...
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Who Will Pay to Preserve Tropical Forests?

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Carlos Nobre, Lee White SÃO PAULO/STIRLING—The enormous climate, water, and biodiversity benefits generated by tropical forests accrue to the entire world. But hardly any of the economic value created is captured by the countries and communities that safeguard them. The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was launched at last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém to start correcting this imbalance. For too long, it has been more profitable to destroy tropical forests than to conserve them, even though they provide services essential for the survival of many countries and for the welfare of us all.  The Amazon recycles nearly half of its rainfall and exports moisture that shapes precipitation patterns across South America and beyond. The Congo Basin, with its peatlands that store roughly 30 billion tons of carbon , is one of the planet’s great carbon reservoirs, while many of the plant and animal species in Borneo are found nowhere else on Earth. Mor...
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Gen. Salim Saleh Rallies Support for Uganda’s Coffee Industry

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Uganda’s coffee story has long been told through the beans it grows and the markets it supplies. But at the launch of the Uganda Coffee Group at Kapeeka Industrial Park, the conversation shifted to ensuring more of the wealth created by Uganda’s coffee is earned, built, and retained in the country. KCB Bank Uganda has joined the Uganda Coffee Group as one of the partner s , supporting a private sector-led initiative designed to strengthen Uganda’s coffee value chain by connecting farmers, cooperatives, processors, manufacturers, investors and financial institutions. The launch, held at Namunkekera Industrial Park in Kapeeka, brought together stakeholders from across the coffee industry to mobilise investment and support a new approach to commercialising one of Uganda’s most important agricultural commodities. Chief fundraiser General Salim Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation and Senior Presidential Advisor, called on stakeholders and Ugandans to support the initi...
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The Overlooked Realities of Breast Cancer in Uganda

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By Dr. Aleesha Adatia Every October, the world is painted pink. The pink ribbon has done a phenomenal job of bringing breast cancer into the public consciousness. In Uganda, we see more women coming into clinics for breast examinations and mammograms during this month than any other time of the year. However, as an oncologist, I often see patients who delayed seeking medical attention because their symptoms or risk factors didn’t align with what they traditionally understood about the disease. In Uganda, breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, with approximately 3,000 new cases estimated in 2022, according to GLOBOCAN. To truly combat breast cancer, we must move beyond basic awareness and address the critical nuances of this condition that remain dangerously overlooked by many women. One of the most pervasive myths I encounter is the belief that a cancerous tumour must be painful. When women feel a lump that doesn’t hurt, they often dismiss it as a benig...
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Pearl Bank loan book crosses 1 Trlillion

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Pearl Bank whose purpose is to foster prosperity for Ugandans has reaffirmed its ambition to become Uganda’s leading indigenous, digitally driven and impact-focused financial institution, as the Bank accelerates lending to productive sectors, expands financial inclusion and aligns its growth strategy with Uganda’s long-term economic transformation agenda. Pearl Bank Managing Director Julius Kakeeto said the Bank’s rebrand from PostBank Uganda a year ago was an important step in building a stronger national identity while positioning the institution to compete more effectively and deliver measurable economic impact. Since the rebrand, the Bank has expanded its corporate banking capabilities, strengthened its agricultural and SME lending, attracted new customers and strategic funding partners, and continued scaling Wendi, its digital financial inclusion platform. Pearl Bank’s loan book has now crossed UGX1 trillion, up from about UGX760 billion reported at the end of 2025. Kakeeto said r...
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How Livelihoods of Palm Oil Farmers is being transformed

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When David Balironda Mukasa walks through his oil palm plantation in the island district of Kalangala, he sees more than a source of income.  He sees the results of a remarkable journey one that has transformed a community with limited financial literacy and little access to formal banking into one where farmers can save, access credit, invest in their businesses and build more secure livelihoods. For Mukasa, the transformation has been gradual, but its impact is visible in the growth of his farm, the opportunities available to his family and the wider development of Kalangala's economy. He has served in the leadership of the Kalangala Oil Palm Growers Trust (KOPGT) for more than two decades and has witnessed the sector's evolution firsthand. "Stanbic came to Kalangala way back in 1989 when our people were poor, barely had shoes on their feet and there was little financial literacy. Our people struggled to meet basic needs, including educating their children, but today, wi...
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