In the limelight of events, Absa Bank Uganda Ltd has attracted public attention after the banking institution declined to extend financial assistance to the Kyabazinga of Busoga ahead of his royal wedding.
Absa Bank, in a letter dated October 13, 2023, not only turned down the request to support the wedding but also turned down the invitation to the royal wedding scheduled for next month, a move that has stirred public anger from the Basoga all over the country.
The bank’s marketing manager Ms Hellen Basuuta who was responding to the Kingdom’s request for financial aid last week said Absa declined funding the Royal Wedding due to ‘earlier scheduled commitments in the period’.
“We appreciate your request for Absa to attend and contribute towards the royal wedding scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Regrettably, we write to inform you that we are unable to support this request due to earlier scheduled commitments during the period,” the letter reads in part.
The controversial notice from Absa has since seen widespread protests from the King’s subjects several of them interpreting it as a conspiracy to humiliate not only the King but also the entire Kingdom. In fact, some of the Basoga have called for a boycott of the bank in all districts that make up the region, and by the Basoga in all parts of the country.
Gideon Byandala says the king, through the organizing chairman, only requested funding, but the PR head (Absa) saw it as a demand and that they should not have displayed it to the public. He says Absa should apologize to the King.
Nation Media Group Journalist Gabriel Buule says Absa has no obligation to contribute to anyone’s wedding, but he finds it strange that the bank rejected an opportunity to tap into possible clients from the Kingdom and region.
“Well, @AbsaUganda or any other business has no obligation to contribute to anyone’s nuptial, but I find it strange when the PR and marketing department of big business bottles an opportunity to tap into possible clients. The idea would be to negotiate a win-win deal in exchange,” he said.
Waiswa Nasur, a bank subscriber from Iganga says the action of the Bank is regrettable and he feels overly offended and regrets his affiliation to the institution.
” I am overly disappointed because there is no reason whatsoever, for the Bank to publicly humiliate my king. I regret that I am a subscriber there,” he says.
Just like Waiswa, Ms Mutesi Mirabu from Bugiri has rallied all the Basoga to come together in solidarity to demand an explanation from the Bank or else unsubscribe their memberships,”
” Never have I seen this type of humiliation to the Kingdom before. Who is behind this bank? It’s time for us all to unite with one voice and demand an explanation from the bank or isolate it to pay for their arrogance.” Mutesi demanded.
Kyabazinga King Nadiope IV will marry Busoga’s Inebantu Queen, Jovia Mutesi, on November 18, 2023.
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