Prime Minister Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja poses for a photo with a section of the first cohort of UDB staff
By our Reporter
Kyankwanzi, Uganda – The Government of Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Uganda Development Bank (UDB) with fresh capital injections, signalling continued reliance on the state-owned lender as a key driver of economic transformation.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said government had allocated an additional UGX 1 trillion to UDB in the current financial year, reinforcing efforts to scale up long-term financing for productive sectors of the economy.
She made the remarks while presiding over the graduation of UDB staff who completed a leadership and ideological refresher course at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi.
Nabbanja said sustained capitalisation of UDB is central to government’s strategy of expanding access to affordable development finance, particularly for Ugandan entrepreneurs operating in priority sectors.
She noted that institutions such as UDB are expected to play a catalytic role in mobilising investment, supporting industrial growth and advancing Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, the Fourth National Development Plan and Vision 2040.
...
Prime Minister Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja poses for a photo with a section of the first cohort of UDB staff
By our Reporter
Kyankwanzi, Uganda – The Government of Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Uganda Development Bank (UDB) with fresh capital injections, signalling continued reliance on the state-owned lender as a key driver of economic transformation.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said government had allocated an additional UGX 1 trillion to UDB in the current financial year, reinforcing efforts to scale up long-term financing for productive sectors of the economy.
She made the remarks while presiding over the graduation of UDB staff who completed a leadership and ideological refresher course at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi.
Nabbanja said sustained capitalisation of UDB is central to government’s strategy of expanding access to affordable development finance, particularly for Ugandan entrepreneurs operating in priority sectors.
She noted that institutions such as UDB are expected to play a catalytic role in mobilising investment, supporting industrial growth and advancing Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, the Fourth National Development Plan and Vision 2040.
The Prime Minister praised the bank for investing in leadership development, saying strong institutions require personnel who understand national priorities and are aligned with the country’s long-term development vision.
She said UDB’s interventions were already contributing to employment creation, increased tax revenues, foreign exchange earnings and stronger business performance across sectors.
UDB Managing Director Patricia Ojangole said the training had strengthened staff capacity to deliver on the bank’s evolving mandate as it implements a new five-year business strategy.
She said the strategy places greater emphasis on project structuring, transaction advisory services and attracting development finance from both local and international partners to fund large-scale investments.
Ojangole said staff gained a clearer understanding of Uganda’s economic interests and positioning within the global economy, enabling the bank to design financial products that enhance competitiveness and resilience.
She added that UDB remains focused on supporting the private sector to withstand global economic volatility while expanding its contribution to national development.
The leadership training comes as UDB enters the second year of its five-year strategy, which aims to deepen the bank’s role in financing transformative projects and crowding in private capital.
National Leadership Institute Director Col. Okei Rukogota commended UDB for prioritising ideological grounding and institutional cohesion, describing the approach as rare but necessary for long-term organisational effectiveness.
The week-long programme covered political education, national development priorities, the role of finance in economic transformation, national security considerations and modern approaches to public sector leadership.