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Tag: KCCA Festival

  • Centenary Bank joins thousands at the 2025 Kampala City Festival

    Centenary Bank joins thousands at the 2025 Kampala City Festival

    Kampala: Centenary Bank, Uganda’s leading microfinance bank, joined thousands of Kampala residents to celebrate the Kampala City Festival 2025 on 12th October 2025, under the theme “Celebrating Enterprise and Innovation in Kampala.”

    The Kampala City Festival, organized by Kampala City Council Authority (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.As a proud partner of this year’s festival, the bank reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to the growth of Uganda’s economy by supporting small businesses, and driving inclusive economic growth through meaningful community partnerships.

    Speaking at the festival, Fabian Kasi, Managing Director of Centenary Bank, praised Kampala residents for their role in shaping the city’s economic future. He said, “At Centenary Bank, we have had the privilege of growing with this city for four decades. We’ve walked with market vendors and traders. We’ve backed innovators who started small and scaled their dreams. We have supported families who wanted something better for their children. And every step of the way, we’ve believed in the power of enterprise to transform lives.”

    Kasi added that the bank will continue to invest in initiatives that empower youth and small businesses, especially those driving innovation in the country’s fast-growing informal and SME sectors, “Every year we dedicate 2% of the previous year’s profit to corporate social investment for initiatives like health, education, environmental stewardship, social mission of the church and other community initiatives,” He added.

    Kampala is home to one of the youngest and most enterprising populations in Africa, with over 77% of its residents under the age of 35 (UBOS). This year’s festival provided a vibrant platform for young entrepreneurs, innovators, SMEs, and creatives to showcase their talent, market their products, and connect with new opportunities. Through exhibitions, cultural performances, and innovation showcases, the festival brought the city to life and reflected the energy, creativity, and resilience of Kampala’s people.

    KCCA Executive Director, Ms. Sharifah Buzeki, commended Centenary Bank and other partners for their support. She said, “Kampala’s young innovators and entrepreneurs are the engine of this city. Through partnerships like this, we are creating opportunities, opening doors, and celebrating the creativity that drives our capital forward.”

    Centenary Bank is already carrying out initiatives aligned to the sustainability arm of the festival through our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda. The Bank has changed 10 of its branches from depending on hydro power and generators to full use of solar, it also offers 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 its branches, planted over 100,000 trees in the last two years and is on an initiative to commence separating waste in the bank 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. As a longstanding supporter of community development, Centenary Bank remains committed to advancing youth enterprise and innovation in Uganda. Through financial inclusion programs, SME financing, and digital banking solutions, the bank continues to create pathways for individuals and businesses to thrive.

  • Centenary Bank contributes UGX 86 million towards Kampala City Festival and waste management efforts

    Centenary Bank contributes UGX 86 million towards Kampala City Festival and waste management efforts

    Kampala: Centenary Bank has made a contribution of UGX 86 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 Mr 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.

    Centenary Bank handing over a cheque of UGX 86 million to KCCA

    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.

    KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki receiving a cheque of UGX 86 million from Centenary Bank Executive Director Joseph Kiwanuka Balikuddembe

    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.

    Ms. 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.

    Ms. 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.

  • Vivo injects Shs102m in KCCA Festival

    Vivo injects Shs102m in KCCA Festival

    Vivo Energy Uganda has proudly announced a UGX 102,000,000 sponsorship for the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)’s Kampala City Festival.

    “Our sponsorship package, will be to different projects like the forthcoming Kampala City Festival, the KCCA FC and our Corporate Social Responsibility of Zebra Crossing painting and buying furniture for some public schools in Kampala,” Vivo’s Assi said.

    Vivo Energy MD, Gilbert Assi, was at Kampala City hall to deliver dummy cheques to KCCA Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi.

  • Bell gives 2017 Kampala City Festival 270 million cash boost

    Bell gives 2017 Kampala City Festival 270 million cash boost

    Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz to headline performances at the festival’s charity concert

    Bell Lager has staked UGX270 million for this year’s Kampala City Festival. The announcement was made by Juliana Kaggwa, Marketing and Innovations Director, Uganda Breweries (UBL) at a press conference hosted at City Hall to launch this year’s festival.

    The Kampala City Festival will this time stretch to a three day affair that runs between 6th and 8th October. It will be held under the theme “Celebrating Cultural Diversity”. The annual event is one of KCCA’s initiatives towards positioning Kampala city as a potential tourist destination. Last year, it’s estimated that the festival attracted over 3 million people and is this time targeting even more from across the East African region.

    “Through our flagship brand, Bell Lager, Uganda Breweries has supported this initiative since inception, 6 years ago. We are pleased to work closely with KCCA to showcase our city as a beautiful destination as well as our unique Ugandan cultural heritage,” said Juliana Kaggwa, UBL Marketing and Innovations Director.

    This year, the festival will feature a pre-carnival charity concert. Proceeds will go towards improved infrastructure and a better learning environment in the 79 UPE schools in the city. Uganda Breweries has set aside 70 million shillings of the total sponsorship package towards this cause.

    Some of the plans include improving and expanding existing structures, building toilets and putting in place improved sanitation facilities, providing instructional material (text books) and provision of computers.

    Speaking at the event, Jennifer Musisi, Executive Director, Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) said this year’s festival would be even bigger, more exciting and better and invited the people of Kampala to come celebrate their city.

    Meanwhile Tanzanian star singer Diamond Platnumz is the guest artist at this year’s festival.

    “Bongo Flava recording artist and dancer Naseeb Abdul Juma aka Diamond Platnumz will be live in Kampala this October at the Kampala City Festival Charity Concert on October 6th . SAVE THE DATE!  https://youtu.be/XPk6e4IRF4k,” KCCA posted.