East African Business Notifier

The Bank of Uganda has recognized Pearl Bank for its outstanding partnership and responsiveness in the Agricultural Credit Facility and Small Business Fund Schemes, which have accelerated the growth of Uganda’s agricultural and business sectors in alignment with the National Development Plan IV and the Tenfold Growth Strategy. This was during a workshop held on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Hotel Africana. Jointly implemented by the Bank of Uganda and participating financial institutions, the ACF was designed to increase the availability of medium- and long-term financing to the agriculture sector at competitive interest rates. Under this program, Pearl Bank distinguished itself through strong loan portfolio growth, prudent risk management, and deep outreach to both commercial and smallholder farmers. The bank’s commitment to sustainable agriculture financing has yielded an approximately 180% growth in its agricultural portfolio since 2020 aided by innovative lending solutions and tail...

An El Niño event is expected to develop from mid-2026, impacting global temperature and rainfall patterns, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The latest monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update from WMO signals a clear shift in the Equatorial Pacific: sea-surface temperatures are rising rapidly, pointing to a likely return of El Niño conditions as early as May–July 2026. Forecasts indicate there is a “nearly global dominance of above-normal land surface temperatures” in the upcoming three-month period, and regional variations in rainfall patterns. “After a period of neutral conditions at the start of the year, climate models are now strongly aligned, and there is high confidence in the onset of El Niño, followed by further intensification in the months that follow,” said Wilfran Moufouma Okia, Chief of Climate Prediction at WMO. “Models indicate that this may be a strong event – but the so-called spring predictability barrier is a challenge for the certainty of for...

Extreme heat events threaten the livelihoods, health and labour productivity of over a billion people. Agricultural workers and agrifood systems are on the frontlines.   The frequency, intensity and duration of extreme heat events have risen sharply over the past half century, and the risks to agrifood systems and ecosystems are set to soar in the future, according to  “ Extreme heat and agriculture ,” a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).   “This work highlights how extreme heat is a major risk multiplier, exerting mounting pressure on crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, and on the communities and economies that depend upon them.” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.   “Extreme heat is increasingly defining the conditions under which agrifood systems operate,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.   “More than simply an isolated climatic hazard, it acts as a ...

  Genetec Inc. , the global leader in enterprise physical security software, is highlighting a disconnect between cloud adoption models in physical security and the governance and operational demands of large enterprises. Large organizations need to approach cloud adoption through the lens of governance, risk management, and operational requirements. Most enterprise environments span hundreds of sites, face strict regulatory and cybersecurity requirements, and rely on infrastructure that must remain operational for years. When cloud models promote adoption as a simple move to the cloud, they can overlook the operational realities of large enterprises, limiting  flexibility and making long-term resilience harder to sustain.  “Enterprise physical security seldom operates within a single deployment model, and cloud strategies must reflect that reality,” said Francis   Lachance, Senior Director, Product, Genetec Inc . “Organizations run cloud, on-premises, and hybrid env...