The Centenary Buganda partnership is entering a new phase, with Centenary Bank and Buganda Kingdom pledging to deepen their longstanding relationship as the bank transitions to new leadership.
Centenary Bank’s new Managing Director, Godfrey Byekwaso, made the commitment during a courtesy visit to Buganda Kingdom headquarters at Bulange, Mengo, where he was formally introduced to Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga and members of the Buganda Cabinet.
Byekwaso was accompanied by former Managing Director Fabian Kasi, who formally handed over the relationship he helped nurture during his years at the helm of the bank.
The September 18 meeting was more than a ceremonial introduction. Both sides used it to reaffirm a partnership that has grown to include financial services, sport, health, road safety, environmental conservation and other community programmes.
Centenary Buganda Partnership to Continue Under Byekwaso
Byekwaso assured Buganda leaders that the change at the top of Centenary Bank would not disrupt the bank’s relationship with the kingdom.
He said the institution intended to build on the work already done under Kasi rather than start again with an entirely new approach.
That message of continuity was welcomed by the kingdom.
Mayiga urged the new managing director to go further by expanding and strengthening cooperation between the two institutions, arguing that Buganda represents a large population involved in farming, trade, professional services and other income-generating activities.
For Centenary Bank, those communities also represent an important part of its customer base.
The bank said after the meeting that it remained committed to providing financial services capable of improving livelihoods and supporting sustainable economic growth across Buganda.
Mayiga Wants More People Using Formal Banking Services
A significant part of the discussion focused on financial inclusion.
Mayiga encouraged people earning money through farming, business and professional work to keep their savings within formal financial institutions rather than relying on informal ways of storing cash.
He said banks such as Centenary have an important role to play in helping people save, access financing and grow their economic activities.
The Katikkiro linked the kingdom’s relationship with the bank to its wider goal of improving household incomes and helping communities build sustainable livelihoods.
It is an area in which the interests of both institutions naturally overlap.
Centenary Bank has historically positioned itself around financial inclusion, particularly among ordinary households, small businesses and communities outside Uganda’s traditional corporate banking market.
For Buganda Kingdom, access to suitable financial services can support farmers, traders, health workers, entrepreneurs and other people whose economic activities form the backbone of communities across the kingdom.
Why Buganda Values the Relationship With Centenary Bank
Mayiga also offered a simple explanation for why Buganda has maintained a close relationship with Centenary Bank.
During the meeting, he said the bank helps people make money, grow their money and improve their lives.
He also praised Centenary for more than four decades of service and described it as an indigenous institution that has grown alongside Ugandan communities.
That community focus has helped the relationship extend far beyond conventional banking.
Over the years, Centenary has backed several Buganda-linked initiatives involving young people, sport, environmental conservation, healthcare and road safety.
The kingdom has in turn provided the bank with a platform to connect with communities through programmes that already have strong cultural and social support.
Masaza Cup Remains a Major Part of Centenary Buganda Partnership
Football has become one of the most visible parts of the relationship.
Centenary Bank committed UGX 200 million to the 2026 edition of the Buganda Masaza Cup, continuing its support for the kingdom’s popular county football tournament.
The competition brings together counties from across Buganda and has developed into a major platform for discovering young football talent while also strengthening community participation.
For Centenary Bank, the sponsorship provides an opportunity to engage directly with young people, families, traders and businesses across the kingdom.
For Buganda, corporate support helps sustain a tournament that has become an important part of its cultural and sporting calendar.
The partnership therefore works on more than a branding level. It connects commercial sponsorship with youth development and community activity.
Road Safety and Healthcare Also Bring the Partners Together
The relationship has also expanded into healthcare and road safety.
In July 2026, Centenary Bank contributed UGX 100 million towards the Kaliisoliiso road safety campaign and the development of an Accident and Trauma Centre at Nkozi Hospital.
The initiative is spearheaded by CBS FM alongside Buganda Kingdom and other partners.
The contribution forms part of a three-year agreement under which Centenary Bank committed UGX 280 million to the road safety programme. By July 2026, the bank had contributed UGX 180 million under that arrangement.
The campaign combines road safety awareness with fundraising to improve treatment for people injured in crashes.
Centenary says community health is part of its wider social responsibility programme, which also covers education, environmental conservation and community development.
Environmental Conservation Has Become Another Shared Priority
Environmental programmes have also featured in the Centenary Buganda partnership.
In May 2025, the bank donated 2,500 tree seedlings valued at about UGX 10 million for planting at the Kabaka’s palace in Nkoni, Buddu.
The project formed part of Buganda Kingdom’s wider effort to establish Kabaka forests and promote the restoration of indigenous tree species.
Kingdom officials said the trees were expected to provide environmental, educational and cultural benefits.
Centenary representatives also linked the initiative to the bank’s own environmental conservation priorities.
Projects of this nature show how the partnership has gradually widened from straightforward sponsorship into programmes addressing broader community concerns.
Fabian Kasi Praised as Leadership Changes at Centenary Bank
The meeting at Bulange also served as an opportunity for Buganda leaders to recognise former Managing Director Fabian Kasi.
Mayiga praised Kasi’s leadership and the role he played in growing both Centenary Bank and its relationship with the kingdom.
Kasi, meanwhile, assured Buganda officials that his departure from the managing director’s office would not weaken the partnership.
The responsibility now passes to Byekwaso, who is already familiar with Centenary Bank.
Before taking over as managing director, he had served within the Centenary Group, including as General Manager for Finance in Uganda and later as Managing Director of Centenary Bank Malawi.
His appointment therefore represents an internal leadership transition rather than the arrival of someone unfamiliar with the institution.
Byekwaso Challenged to Build on Existing Gains
Buganda’s Second Deputy Katikkiro and Treasurer, Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, also urged Byekwaso to build on the achievements recorded during Kasi’s tenure.
Nsibirwa acknowledged that a partnership of such length will occasionally face challenges, but said those issues should not overshadow the wider benefits the two institutions have achieved together.
He encouraged the new managing director to address any difficulties professionally while expanding areas that have worked well.
Byekwaso responded by promising continuity and closer cooperation.
During the visit, Centenary Bank also contributed UGX 5 million towards Buganda Kingdom activities, while Byekwaso personally contributed UGX 1 million, according to CBS FM.
Partnership Built Around Economic Development
The meeting also highlighted how cultural institutions and financial organisations can work together without limiting their relationship to ceremonial occasions.
Buganda has a large network of counties, clans, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and community initiatives.
Centenary Bank, meanwhile, has financial products and infrastructure that can potentially serve farmers, entrepreneurs, professionals and small businesses operating within those communities.
Mayiga wants that connection strengthened.
His message to the bank was that Buganda offers both a large market and significant economic activity. Deeper cooperation, he argued, should therefore create benefits for both the kingdom’s communities and the bank.
For Centenary, strengthening that relationship could mean reaching more customers with savings, credit and other financial services.
For the kingdom, it provides another avenue for encouraging people to move into formal financial systems and build stronger businesses.
A Longstanding Relationship Enters a New Chapter
Leadership transitions can sometimes create uncertainty around long-running institutional relationships.
Centenary Bank and Buganda Kingdom appear determined to avoid that.
Fabian Kasi has formally introduced his successor to the kingdom’s leadership, Godfrey Byekwaso has committed himself to maintaining the relationship, and Mayiga has challenged the new leadership to make it even stronger.
There is already a considerable foundation to build on.
From the Masaza Cup and tree planting to healthcare, road safety and financial inclusion, cooperation between the two institutions now touches several aspects of everyday community life.
The next stage of the Centenary Buganda partnership is expected to focus on expanding that reach while helping more farmers, traders, entrepreneurs and other income earners participate in formal banking and economic development.
For both institutions, the message from Bulange was clear: the leadership at Centenary Bank may have changed, but the partnership with Buganda Kingdom is expected not only to continue, but to grow.
