Centenary Bank campaign draws bodabodas, parents into saving culture

KAMULI, Uganda: Bodaboda riders, bloggers and parents thronged Centenary Bank Kamuli Branch to open Express and Cente Junior accounts as the bank marked Customer Appreciation Week with renewed calls for financial discipline and a stronger saving culture among Ugandans.

The week-long campaign attracted dozens of residents seeking to join what bank officials described as a growing movement towards financial inclusion and planned saving.

Among them was Hassan Kimpi, a bodaboda rider operating at Total Bugabula Stage, who said the initiative had challenged him to abandon hand-to-mouth spending habits and adopt consistent saving.

“I am going to make sure I deposit the first Shs5,000 daily so that by month end I will have saved Shs150,000 for eventualities or in case the motorcycle needs service, I will not run to my friends begging,” Kimpi said after opening an account and receiving a branded T-shirt and a two-litre fuel coupon.

Janepher Naigaga, a mother of twins, said she opened Cente Junior accounts for her children to secure their future education needs. “As Salongo gives me some ekimeza upkeep, I will be saving some for the twins,” she said.

Centenary Bank Kamuli Branch Assistant Manager Denis Onyango rallied customers to prioritise saving before expenditure, saying many Ugandans spend first and save what remains, often leaving nothing behind.

“Our problem is that we spend before saving and don’t pay ourselves. Let saving be part of the expenditure by planning before spending,” Onyango said.

He added that Centenary Bank remains committed to delivering services beyond customer expectations through comprehensive financial and technology solutions aimed at driving growth and lasting impact.

Onyango further revealed that the bank is increasingly investing in digital banking channels including ATMs, Cente Mobile and agency banking to improve convenience and accessibility for customers, especially in rural communities.

Kamuli District LCV Chairperson Kaloli Dhizaala commended Centenary Bank for preserving the Catholic values upon which it was founded, saying the institution has transformed livelihoods through financial inclusion and accessible banking services.

“When the Catholic Church founded Centenary Rural Development Trust Bank to mark its Centenary, this vision and mission of serving to grow and growing to serve became the hallmark of development and productivity,” Dhizaala said.

He urged the bank to intensify community sensitisation on saving and banking to protect residents from exploitation by loan sharks and informal money lenders.

Dhizaala also praised the bank’s continued community support initiatives, citing last year’s donation of medical equipment worth Shs11 million to Kamuli Mission Hospital to improve healthcare services.