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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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Can Adaptation Accelerate Climate Action?

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  Simon Zadek, Natalie Samarasinghe GENEVA/LONDON—This year may be remembered as the one when climate change could no longer be ignored.  Rich economies are now suffering the devastating effects of global warming that have long plagued other countries. Wildfires, droughts, heat waves, and floods dominate the news, forcing political engagement and serious policy responses and business decisions. Even climate skeptics have woken up to the danger. In a summer of apocalyptic headlines—such as record heat boiling potatoes underground in South Korea—it was striking that France’s far-right National Rally cited research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the party’s long-standing bête noire, in their proposal for expanding air conditioning. Likewise, Austria’s version of Fox News sought to platform a climate scientist after years of downplaying human-caused climate change. It seems you no longer need to acknowledge climate change to prepare for its effects. Politic...
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Africa’s silent pandemic: Why road safety must become an economic priority

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  BY PAUL TENTENA At Mulago National Referral Hospital Emergency and Accident ward, bed after bed is filled with young men and, on some occasions women passengers victims of road accidents especially caused while riding or travelling on a Boda Boda. The same situation is at a hospital at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, ward afterward, also is filled with young men recovering from road traffic injuries, many from boda boda (motorcycle) accidents. What stands out is not only the scale, but the pattern: these are often the most economically active members of society. For many families, a single crash means the loss of a breadwinner, rising medical costs, and long-term hardship. These are not isolated stories. Across the continent, similar tragedies unfold every day, reshaping families and placing long term strain on communities and health systems. It is a reminder that road safety is not abstract. It is deeply personal and urgently in need of action. This is the human face ...
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Is insurance the missing link in Africa's aircraft financing?

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  BY PAUL TENTENA Africa’s aviation sector is entering a period of significant expansion, but access to capital remains a major constraint for airlines seeking to grow their fleets.  As demand for aircraft increases, insurance could play a critical role in giving lenders greater confidence to finance them. With Uganda, ordering about six Boeing Aircrafts to add to its Uganda Airlines fleet, which is expected to be delivered in 2032, African fleets average around 13 years of age, and most carriers grow through quality used aircraft and engines rather than factory orders.  With engine shop-visit backlogs and new-delivery delays pushing spare-engine demand and values to record levels, the EIRS approach responds to a pressing need: airlines and lessors need engines financed today, and lenders need cover to do it. “Insurance exists to turn two risks, ‘what if the plane is destroyed or seized?’ and ‘what if the airline stops paying?’, into something a bank is allowed to lend ag...
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Minerals must benefit countries, communities, not finance criminals, conflict

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BY PAUL TENTENA Countries and communities, especially in resource-rich Africa, must benefit most from the minerals in their own backyards, speakers affirmed at a Security Council debate on “Natural resources governance:  the foundation of peace, security and prosperity”. The demand for critical energy transition minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements is set to almost  triple  by 2030.  In its March briefing on energy, critical minerals and security, the Council heard that  mining has been linked to human rights abuses and conflict .  Ministers and delegates today stressed the importance of ensuring that these resources support development, even as they differed on what resource governance should look like. UN Secretary-General António Guterres drew attention to how revenues from illicit exploitation are pushing peace out of reach — “by strengthening armed and criminal actors, connecting local violence to re...
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COMESA, ECA meet on sustainable tourism

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  The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in partnership with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), convened a Second Stakeholders' Consultative Workshop to guide the development of the COMESA Sustainable Tourism Development Framework, Implementation Plan and Regional Tourism Business Cases. The workshop gave Member States and key stakeholders the opportunity to review preliminary findings, validate the proposed strategic direction, and provide technical guidance ahead of the finalization of the Framework and its accompanying business cases. It builds on the First Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop held in Diani, Kenya, in April 2026, which established the initiative's strategic priorities, identified key regional challenges, and agreed on a roadmap for developing the Framework. Opening the workshop, Mr Lotfi Hamza, COMESA Officer-in-Charge representing Director of Industry and Agriculture, welcomed ECA's technical and financial partn...
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