Fitspa Uganda

26/05/2026

📢 Member Win Spotlight | 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐔𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🎉

Equity Bank Uganda has been recognised at the AIDO Network Pan-African Impact Awards during the Africa Liberation Week celebrations held at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala.

The bank received awards in recognition of its excellence in:
🌟 Cross-border remittance services
🌟 Diaspora banking solutions
🌟 Diaspora investment services

The recognition follows Equity Bank Uganda’s partnership with the AIDO Network, a Pan-African organisation representing over 70,000 members of the global African diaspora.

Over the years, Equity Bank Uganda has continued to strengthen diaspora banking beyond remittances by providing investment and wealth creation solutions tailored to Africans living abroad. Its offerings include savings and fixed deposit accounts, access to treasury bills and bonds, property-backed financing, and digital banking tools that enable customers to manage businesses and investments remotely.

The bank also operates a dedicated diaspora relationship management unit and a 24-hour contact centre to support customers across different time zones.

This recognition reflects the growing importance of innovative financial solutions in connecting diaspora communities to investment opportunities back home and supporting inclusive economic growth across the region.

Congratulations to the entire Equity Bank Uganda team on this achievement.

26/05/2026

📣 Earlier this month, FITSPA participated in the National Validation Workshop for Uganda’s Draft Digital Agriculture Strategy 2025–2030, convened by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF Uganda) in collaboration with FAO at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Kampala.

The strategy marks an important step toward leveraging digital technologies to strengthen agricultural productivity, resilience, financial inclusion, market access, and broader agri-food systems transformation in Uganda.

Aligned with the priorities under NDP IV and the Agro-Industrialisation Programme, the strategy recognizes the growing role of digital solutions, including e-extension services, digital financial services, climate advisory platforms, traceability systems, and integrated agricultural data systems, in building more efficient, inclusive, and data-driven agricultural ecosystems.

The validation workshop highlighted the importance of collaboration between Government, development partners, telecom operators, agritech innovators, financial institutions, and farmer organizations in ensuring that digital innovation delivers meaningful impact for farming communities across the country.

The strategy reflects Uganda’s continued commitment to harnessing technology and innovation to support sustainable agricultural development and inclusive economic growth.

25/05/2026

📢 SAVE THE DATE: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐏𝐀 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

We are excited to announce the 8th FITSPA Annual Fintech Conference 2026, scheduled for 📅 6–7 October 2026 at the 📍 Sheraton Hotel, Kampala, Uganda.

Under the theme, “𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑫𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒚,” the Conference will convene over 700 stakeholders from across the fintech ecosystem, including regulators, financial institutions, investors, digital infrastructure providers, development partners, innovators, and academia.

🤝 You can participate as a partner, sponsor, exhibitor, speaker, or attendee.

📘 For insights into the discussion themes, programme highlights, and participation opportunities, explore the Conference Concept Note: https://lnkd.in/dsCm92eP

🌍 Join us as we explore the policies, partnerships, technologies, and investments shaping the future of fintech and digital transformation in Africa.

📩 To learn more or explore how best you can participate, contact us at [email protected].

22/05/2026

🇺🇬 UGANDA WEEKLY FINTECH BUZZ
Volume 19, May 2026

This week’s Fintech Weekly Buzz highlights major developments across Uganda’s financial and digital ecosystem, from Airtel Uganda’s satellite internet pilot and Huawei’s banking partnership with Centenary Group to expanding financial inclusion initiatives targeting women, SMEs, and rural communities.

The week also saw growing momentum in AI-driven banking, digital payments, fintech regulation, and cross-border financial innovation across Africa. From Kenya’s digital asset reforms and wearable payments to Paystack’s AI expansion and new fintech investment funds, the sector continues evolving toward smarter, faster, and more inclusive financial services.

🇺🇬 UGANDA WEEKLY FINTECH BUZZ Volume 19, May 2026 This week’s Fintech Weekly Buzz highlights major developments across Uganda’s financial and digital ecosystem, from Airtel Uganda’s satellite internet pilot and Huawei’s banking partnership with Centenary Group to expanding financial in...

22/05/2026

📢 Yesterday, we participated in the validation of Uganda’s Regulatory Impact Assessment on Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), convened by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Uganda is taking deliberate and structured steps toward establishing a legal and regulatory framework for virtual assets, one that protects consumers, aligns with FATF obligations, and creates room for responsible innovation within the digital economy.

The engagement brought together key institutions including the Bank of Uganda, Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Uganda, Financial Intelligence Authority, Uganda Law Reform Commission, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the Judiciary, Parliament of Uganda, Uganda Bankers’ Association (UBA), Blockchain Association of Uganda, and FITSPA Uganda.

The work continues.

21/05/2026

🌟 Giving closing remarks, Kenneth Muhangi, FITSPA Board Director and Partner at KTA Advocates, appreciated all stakeholders and partners under the 10X Programme for their continued collaboration and commitment towards strengthening Uganda’s fintech ecosystem.

He emphasized that Uganda’s digital credit providers operate within a privileged industry that presents a unique opportunity to help shape policy and influence the growth of the markets in which they operate.

Kenneth underscored the importance of strong coordination between regulators, industry players, and consumers in building a sustainable and trusted digital financial ecosystem.

He further urged industry players not to view regulations and policies as punitive measures, but rather as important frameworks that guide sector growth, strengthen market confidence, and protect consumers.

He reaffirmed FITSPA’s commitment to advocating for a responsible digital lending market and called upon all stakeholders to remain responsible in their innovations and day-to-day practices as the sector continues to evolve.

21/05/2026

💥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 / 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫

At the Policy Roundtable, Christopher Ssengendo, Managing Director and CEO at SPADES Insurance Brokers Ltd, presented on Credit Life / Loan Default Insurance, highlighting its role in strengthening end-to-end portfolio protection, enhancing financial inclusion, and supporting structured non-performing loan (NPL) management in line with prudential regulatory requirements.

Christopher explained that Credit Life / Loan Default Insurance is designed to address key challenges faced by lenders, including rising non-performing loans that reduce profitability and cash flow, as well as increasing loan defaults driven by job losses, salary delays, and broader economic hardship. He noted that these challenges continue to impact portfolio quality and business sustainability across the lending ecosystem.

He further highlighted concerns around weak borrower screening processes, poor collections and recovery systems, and overall portfolio performance vulnerabilities. The presentation also emphasized how economic instability continues to increase portfolio-at-risk exposure, while regulatory and reputational risks emerge from customer complaints and disputes related to debt recovery processes.

SPADES Insurance Brokers Ltd is responding to the growing need for sustainable portfolio protection, faster recoveries, and improved business resilience by offering tailored insurance solutions that support lenders in managing credit risk more effectively. The firm focuses on bridging the gap in financial inclusion through specialized insurance solutions, including insurance brokerage services, bancassurance consultancy, and insurance inclusion and training aimed at developing mass-market insurance products for underserved populations.

21/05/2026

💥 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭

At the Policy Roundtable, delegates shared key learnings and insights from the benchmarking visit to Kenya. The session was moderated by George Wilson Ssenkande, Membership & Programs Lead, FITSPA, and featured:

🌟 Racheal Vanesa Nakawooya. Muhwezi, Assistant Commissioner, Microfinance Regulation Department, Ministry of Finance MoFPED
🌟 Jordan M Magala, Complaints & Appeals Officer, Personal Data Protection Office, Uganda (PDPO)
🌟 Pius Tweheyo, Legal Officer, 4G Capital
🌟 Amani Itatiro, Senior Policy Specialist, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

The discussion focused on digital credit regulation, supervision approaches, market conduct, consumer protection, and data governance. Delegates reflected on how regulatory and market interventions can balance innovation, consumer protection, and sustainable sector growth.

A key highlight was Kenya’s shift toward broader oversight of non-deposit-taking credit providers and what this means for emerging models such as embedded finance, BNPL, and digital-first lending products. Participants emphasized that effective regulation requires continuous engagement between regulators, industry players, and stakeholders, supported by market data and operational insights.

Drawing from Kenya’s experience, participants noted that data privacy violations remain a major consumer protection risk within digital lending and require targeted regulatory intervention. Discussions also emphasized the importance of data-driven supervision, stronger institutional capacity for data protection authorities, and mandatory credit information sharing to improve risk assessment and consumer outcomes.

The panel further highlighted the need for strong coordination between regulators, industry players, and consumers, as well as the importance of ensuring accurate and high-quality credit reporting data. Participants stressed that while lessons from other markets are valuable, they must be carefully adapted to Uganda’s local realities and market context.

Overall, the session reinforced that effective digital lending regulation requires regulatory clarity, institutional capacity, and continuous stakeholder engagement to build a stable, inclusive, and innovation-friendly digital credit ecosystem in Uganda.

21/05/2026

📸 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋: Giving remarks at the Policy Roundtable, the Commissioner, Microfinance Regulation Department, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Edith Namugga Tusuubira, appreciated FITSPA for providing a platform that brings together key stakeholders in Uganda’s digital lending ecosystem to engage on priority policy and regulatory reforms for responsible digital lending.

She noted that the sector is now at a critical point where stakeholders must bridge the gap between the possible and the practical, emphasizing the importance of building consensus, not necessarily agreement on everything, but a shared direction of travel for the ecosystem.

Edith observed that digital is no longer just a channel, but fundamental infrastructure upon which the modern economy runs. In this context, she emphasized that the most successful institutions are moving beyond innovation alone and are now prioritizing data sovereignty as a key driver of growth.

She further noted that regulators are no longer gatekeepers, but ecosystem architects, calling for stronger collaboration between regulators, industry players, and development partners to shape a more enabling environment.

From the benchmarking visit, she highlighted three key insights:
🌟 A shift from regulatory compliance to regulatory agility, moving toward more flexible approaches such as regulatory sandboxes.
🌟 A redefinition of risk, with leading regulators rethinking traditional risk frameworks in digital financial systems.
🌟 Recognition of the talent gap as an economic risk, emphasizing that the effectiveness of the ecosystem depends on the capacity and quality of its people.

Edith further emphasized that regulatory uncertainty remains one of the greatest barriers to investment, and called for a shift in mindset where innovation is not seen as a threat to stability, but as a partner in strengthening it.

She also underscored the importance of harmonizing data governance, describing data as the lifeblood of the new economy and a critical form of currency in the digital era.

From the benchmarking visit, she further noted that domestic reforms are compatible with international standards, encouraging stakeholders to ground solutions in local realities while remaining aligned with global regulatory evolution.

In conclusion, she highlighted that the roundtable presents a rare opportunity to co-create a roadmap for Uganda’s financial future and called upon all participants to join hands and shape it’s outcomes.

21/05/2026

🌟 In his remarks, Richard Zulu, Team Principal at Outbox, appreciated all stakeholders, industry players, development partners, and regulators for their active participation in the Post-Benchmarking Visit Policy Roundtable.

He reaffirmed Outbox Uganda’s commitment, alongside United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Refactory Academy, and Women In Technology Uganda, under the 10X Programme and with support from the Mastercard Foundation, to continue supporting ecosystem coordination, policy dialogue, and capacity building aimed at strengthening Uganda’s digital economy.

The 10X Programme addresses critical gaps in digital skills, career readiness, and employability for underserved youth in Uganda, with a strong focus on empowering young women. Among its objectives, it seeks to alleviate poverty and promote education, with an impact target of 61,000 young women.

He further noted that collaboration between regulators, industry players, and development partners remains central to shaping a responsible, inclusive, and innovation-driven digital financial ecosystem.

He highlighted that the day’s discussions should address key questions, including how stakeholders can promote responsible digital lending and make digital credit a key driver of financing for small businesses.

Richard emphasized that the insights generated from both the Kenya benchmarking visit and today’s validation session mark an important step toward building a coherent, evidence-based policy framework for Uganda’s digital lending sector.

21/05/2026

Opening the Post-Benchmarking Visit Policy Roundtable, the FITSPA Vice Chairperson, Doreen Lukandwa, emphasized the significance of the engagement as a critical step in shaping the future of responsible digital lending in Uganda.

She appreciated all partners and stakeholders for their continued collaboration in strengthening Uganda’s digital financial ecosystem, with special recognition to the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) for its support toward advancing a more responsible and inclusive digital lending sector.

She particularly acknowledged the partners who supported the benchmarking visit to Kenya: the UNCDF, the 10X Programme implemented by Outbox Uganda, Refactory Academy, and Women In Technology Uganda, with support from the Mastercard Foundation. She noted that this partnership continues to play an important role in supporting responsible innovation, policy engagement, and financial inclusion in Uganda.

She also extended sincere appreciation to the Bank of Uganda, which served as the lead coordinator for the visit, as well as the Microfinance Regulation Department at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for their coordination, active participation, and continued engagement with industry stakeholders on matters concerning the development of Uganda’s digital lending sector.

She further acknowledged the institutions that delegated representatives to the benchmarking exercise, including the Bank of Uganda, the Microfinance Regulation Department, the First Parliamentary Council under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Personal Data Protection Office, Uganda (PDPO), Numida, Unifi and 4G Capital. She also appreciated the Central Bank of Kenya for hosting the Ugandan delegation and facilitating valuable engagements across Kenya’s digital lending ecosystem.

She noted that Uganda’s digital credit sector has grown significantly, improving access to finance for underserved individuals and MSMEs, but also bringing challenges around consumer protection, data privacy, transparency, and market trust. She emphasized that sustainable growth must be anchored in trust, strong governance, and responsible market conduct.

She further highlighted key lessons from the benchmarking visit, including the shift toward more adaptive regulation such as regulatory sandboxes, the importance of data governance, and the need for continuous engagement between regulators and industry players. She also noted that regulatory uncertainty remains a key barrier to investment and innovation.

Doreen concluded by emphasizing that today’s roundtable provides an opportunity to validate sector priorities, align stakeholder perspectives, and build consensus on practical reforms that will support a responsible and inclusive digital lending ecosystem in Uganda.