By The Independent

Copyright independent

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Centenary Bank has made a contribution of sh86 million to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) towards the upcoming Kampala City Festival and the city’s waste management program through the Weyonje Campaign.

The Kampala City Festival, organized by KCCA, is one of the country’s largest cultural and social gatherings, attracting thousands of Ugandans and international visitors. The festival provides a platform to showcase Kampala’s vibrancy through music, art, dance, and food, while also creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive.

The bank’s contribution underscores its commitment to community development and environmental sustainability in Kampala, a city it has served for over 40 years.

While making the contribution, Centenary Bank Executive Director Joseph Kiwanuka Balikuddembe, said that for 40 years, the Bank has worked to transform lives, not just through financial services, but also through initiatives that uplift communities and that is why every year, the bank dedicates 2% of the previous year’s profit to corporate social investment for initiatives like health, education, waste management, environmental conservation and other community initiatives.

He said, “As a Bank, we are proud to celebrate with Kampala, its culture, innovation, and sustainability with a total of UGX 86 million; UGX 50 million for the city festival and UGX 36 million for the Weyonje campaign. Through this contribution, we hope to contribute to the city’s symbol of unity, creative expression, and economic development as the city looks toward the future.”

“We are particularly excited to once again be part of the vibrant Kampala City Festival, after an 8-year hiatus. Kampala and Uganda as a whole is a vibrant country, as demonstrated over time by the ways we come together to celebrate our wins and together get solutions to pressing challenges,” Balikuddembe added.

A 2023/24 report from the Office of the Auditor General, highlighted the low waste disposal rates over a three-year period from 2021 to 2024. It was recorded that only 37% of the total of over 4 million tonnes of generated solid waste was collected and disposed of. Cities collected and disposed of 34.4% of their waste, while municipalities managed 50%. This indicates the need for partnership and collaboration to close any gaps and achieve a cleaner and healthier country.

“We recognize that a thriving city is key to economic growth, and addressing challenges like waste management is central to creating an environment where businesses and people can prosper,” Balikuddembe added.

Centenary Bank is already carrying out initiatives aligned to the sustainability arm of the festival through our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda. We have changed 10 of our branches from depending on hydro power and generators to full use of solar, we offer water and sanitation loans, greens loans, solar loans, donated over 80 waste bins for proper waste management, community clean-ups, donated tanks, dug bore holes, reduced the use of plastics within our branches, planted over 100,000 trees in the last two years and are on an initiative to commence separating waste in our branches.

On the social front, the bank has taken active participation in activities like the cancer run, medical camps across the country, donations of computers to support information technology advancement in schools, carrying out financial literacy for various sectors, construction and many other community activities.

Sharifah Buzeki, Executive Director of KCCA welcomed Centenary Bank’s contribution noting that public-private partnerships are critical to achieving the city’s development goals.

“Kampala belongs to all of us and keeping it vibrant, clean, and inclusive requires collective effort. We thank Centenary Bank for demonstrating leadership in corporate citizenship through this generous contribution,” she said.

Buzeki added that the festival, happening on 5th October, 2025 will be a celebration of Kampala’s cultural diversity and unity, bringing together communities, artists, innovators and businesses to showcase the spirit of Kampala. At the same time, the waste management campaigns are vital for shaping the behavior of citizens towards proper waste disposal practices.