Extended leadership term saw stronger regulatory coordination, ESG rollout, and anti-fraud architecture in Uganda’s banking sector
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Pearl Bank Managing Director Julius Kakeeto has concluded his four-year tenure as Chairman of the Uganda Bankers Association (UBA), closing a leadership period widely credited with reshaping Uganda’s banking industry around sustainability, digital security, and policy influence.
Although the UBA chairmanship is formally a two-year term, Kakeeto’s tenure was extended for an additional two years in recognition of what industry stakeholders describe as exceptional leadership during a period defined by regulatory change, digital disruption, and macroeconomic adjustment.
His exit from the UBA leadership role marks the end of a strategic cycle in which Uganda’s banking sector positioned itself more firmly as a driver of national development, moving beyond traditional financial intermediation into active policy shaping and structural reform.
Kakeeto, however, remains Managing Director of Pearl Bank, where he continues to play a central role in the institution’s transition from PostBank into a fully homegrown commercial lender anchored on financial inclusion and entrepreneurship support.
Banking Sector Elevated as Policy Partner
Under his stewardship, the UBA strengthened its engagement with key regulators and policymakers, including the Bank of Uganda, Ministry of Finance, Financial Intelligence Authority, and Capital Markets Authority, on issues ranging from governance reforms to climate and cyber risk regulation.
The association increasingly positioned itself as a strategic partner in macroeconomic policy discussions, particularly around private sector credit expansion, financial stability, and regulatory alignment.
Kakeeto also introduced four high-level CEO workstreams—covering Economy & Sustainability, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Judiciary engagement, Regulatory Reform, and Emerging Technology—designed to institutionalise industry-wide coordination on structural reforms.
Long-Term Growth Agenda Anchored in Banking Sector Strategy
A key milestone during his tenure was the commissioning of an industry-led technical working group that developed the banking sector’s response to government’s ATMS economic strategy.
The framework focuses on mobilising long-term capital for SMEs, expanding credit to the private sector, and supporting Uganda’s ambition of scaling GDP from about $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040.
ESG, Inclusion and Gender Finance Accelerated
Kakeeto’s leadership also accelerated the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards across Uganda’s banking industry.
In June 2024, UBA launched the Banking Industry ESG Framework, marking a coordinated shift toward sustainability-linked finance, climate risk awareness, and responsible lending practices.
The sector also deepened its focus on financial inclusion and gender equality through the Women Economic Empowerment Initiative (WEEI), alongside endorsement of the UN Women Empowerment Principles.
In November 2025, UBA signed the We-Fi Code, a global initiative supported by the World Bank to improve women entrepreneurs’ access to finance and strengthen gender-disaggregated financial data systems in Uganda, with the Bank of Uganda serving as national data aggregator.
As a result, female representation in the banking workforce rose from 47% in 2024 to 53% in 2025, reflecting a significant shift in industry demographics.
Digital Security and Anti-Fraud Architecture Strengthened
One of the defining legacies of Kakeeto’s tenure was the establishment of the Financial Sector Anti-Fraud Consortium (AFC), launched in April 2025.
The platform brought together commercial banks, telecom operators such as MTN MoMo and Airtel Money, payment service providers, regulators, and law enforcement agencies to coordinate responses to cyber fraud and digital financial crime.
The initiative is widely viewed as a major step toward securing Uganda’s fast-expanding digital financial ecosystem.
Recognition and Institutional Legacy
During his tenure, the UBA received industry recognition from institutions including aBi Finance for green finance advancement and the Uganda Revenue Authority for contributions to strengthening the national tax base.
Kakeeto leaves the UBA chairmanship having anchored the 2025–2027 strategic cycle that is expected to guide the sector’s next phase of transformation.
While he steps down from the association’s top leadership role, he continues to serve as Managing Director of Pearl Bank, where he remains a key figure in Uganda’s evolving banking landscape.