I recently joined @qataharraymond on the @GrabACoffeePod for a conversation on some of the most topical issues shaping financial decisions today: the cost of money, what influences interest rates, and how these affect the choices people make. We also explored my personal and career journey, perspectives on growth, and how individuals can think about investments, whether in real estate or fixed income, based on their goals and circumstances. Watch the full conversation here: piped.video/azpCbcmsJRc?si=bbE3…

I had the immense privilege of addressing Uganda's next generation of business builders at the @JA_Uganda National Company of the Year Competition, centred on the theme "Augmenting Innovation." With 600,000 to 700,000 young Ugandans entering the labour market every year and youth unemployment above 20%, we can no longer view our youth merely as job seekers. We must cultivate them as future employers, innovators and value creators. What struck me most was how these student founders had already done what many adults only talk about: they identified a problem, built a solution, found customers and put their ideas to the test. That is the essence of entrepreneurship. It is not defined by where you start or how flawless your pitch is. It is defined by grit, execution and continuous improvement. Key takeaways I shared with the student founders: • Fall in love with the problem, not the idea: True innovation doesn't always mean inventing something entirely new. Often, it's about taking an existing challenge in agriculture, healthcare or financial services and making the solution simpler, faster and more accessible. • Know your customer better than anyone: The strongest businesses are built on deep customer insight. Talk to your customers, listen to what frustrates them and keep refining your product until it earns a place in their daily lives. • Execution over enthusiasm: The difference between a good idea and a sustainable business is execution: knowing your costs, managing your cash flows and maintaining strict financial discipline from day one. • Build a team, not just a product: A business is a network of human relationships. Real success relies on listening, building trust and surrounding yourself with people who think differently and bring skills you don't have. • Treat setbacks as data: Every entrepreneur will face rejection, failed launches and difficult months. The true test is whether you have the composure to take the feedback, adapt quickly and keep building. Technology and AI are giving this generation unprecedented tools to start and scale businesses, but technology is merely an enabler. It can never replace understanding your customer or the discipline of running a business well. At Absa Bank Uganda, we are proud to partner with Junior Achievement Uganda to equip young leaders with practical business acumen. To every student team that pitched: the competition may end today, but your entrepreneurial journey is only just beginning.

Africa's investment opportunity is increasingly clear, and I have strong confidence in Uganda's ability to capture a greater share of it. That confidence was reinforced at the #UKAfricaInvestmentSummit2026 in London, through conversations with investors, business leaders, legislators and Ugandan policymakers, including the Prime Minister, Hon. @R_Nabbanja, State Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Hon. @AminahMukalazi, who made a compelling case for Uganda's peaceful, stable investment climate to UK investors. It was equally valuable to continue engaging with H.E. @LisaJChesney following @AbsaUganda's recent membership in the @BritChamUg, as we deepen trade and investment ties with the UK. Uganda's progress over the last couple of years is increasingly visible. We have risen from 10th in 2018 to 3rd in the 2025 Absa Africa Financial Markets Index, on the back of strengthening legal frameworks, FX stability and other reforms to deepen our financial markets, strengthen transparency and improved investor confidence. International appetite is clear too. The UK's portfolio of investments in Uganda, through @UKEF, @BritishIntInv, @PIDGorg and others, has surpassed £1.3 billion, with a further £1 billion in the pipeline, per the UK Government. The task now is converting that interest into investment and growth, which takes local market knowledge, the right financing structures, and connections to international capital. This is where Absa's Pan-African capabilities matter. We understand African markets from within and connect that understanding to the capital, expertise and relationships needed to turn opportunity into investment. I leave London with even greater confidence in Uganda's opportunity, and in the role we can play in helping realise it.

Strong commercial corridors are built on more than the movement of money. They thrive on relationships, market knowledge and the ability to connect businesses to the right opportunities. This was one of my key takeaways as @AbsaUganda joined the @BritChamUg as a Platinum Member last week. For us, this network presents an opportunity to listen: to understand what UK-linked businesses operating in Uganda need to grow and reinvest, where they encounter friction, and how we can better support businesses looking to operate across our two markets. I believe banks have an important role to play here. Beyond providing capital, we can help businesses navigate markets, structure appropriate financing and connect to the relationships and opportunities that enable growth. This is also a conversation I look forward to continuing in the future, particularly around how we move from investment interest to bankable opportunities and ultimately to transactions that support Uganda's growth. I look forward to the partnerships and conversations ahead.

Golf is a game of unexpected moments, and this morning I was served a front-row treat of my own as I witnessed my first-ever eagle masterfully executed by Celestin Nsanzuwera! Such is the beauty of this game and I am deeply proud of the 60 pros and 180 amateurs giving their best in this year's Absa Pro-Am. At @AbsaUganda, this tournament remains about the big and little moments that sharpen our local talent and ultimately lead to international exposure. Warmest congratulations in advance to our qualifiers headed to the DP World Tour's @KenyaOpenGolf next year. Special thanks to my playing partners; @golfunion President Jackson Were, Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa, and Celestin for the great round on the @UgandaGolf Kitante Course. One line from Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker stuck with me, 'You can't lose totally when you play golf, if you don't get good scores, you definitely get good exercise!'

Thanks for having us, Sylvia. Over the years, our collaboration has proven that combining telecom scale with banking expertise creates real value for the Ugandan consumer. As our markets & digital payments continue to evolve rapidly, uniting these strengths allows us to innovate faster, broaden access and ultimately compound real value to accelerate financial inclusion for millions across the country. The journey ahead is exciting, and I look forward to scaling new heights together.

Last night was a celebration of the powerful synergies that drive Uganda forward. At the inaugural Absa Titan Awards, we honoured the dealer partners who we see as a critical bridge between ambition and achievement towards Uganda’s tenfold growth ambition to reach USD 500 billion by 2040. Such progress is fueled by partnership and dealers provide the expertise that gives customers the confidence to invest. These awards are our way of saying your contribution matters deeply as we work together to remove trade barriers (as we did with Tata Uganda to help schools acquire modern buses through affordable financing). Congratulations to all our winners. We look forward to making the Absa Titan Awards an annual tradition, building even greater success together as we continue to invest in Uganda’s growth.

A fruitful strategic engagement with Hon. @henrymusasizi1 at @mofpedU on how to further support priority sectors under the Tenfold Growth Strategy. Driving inclusive growth requires a strong public-private alignment, so we appreciate the Ministry's open door to discuss this. Looking forward to deepening our collaboration to better serve Uganda's development story.

A big thanks to you, @Dorothy_kyeyune for that outstanding session with our Global Markets and Treasury team. I believe that your insights on the concepts of balance and how we can rethink performance in this era of disruption will be very valuable to our people. We appreciate your expertise and energy in equipping the team with fresh perspectives. Well done!

Risk management is not only something banks do for themselves. It is also one of the ways they help businesses stay focused, stable and resilient. In this reel, @DavidAWandera , Managing Director of @AbsaUganda, explains how businesses face different forms of risk — from liquidity pressure and pricing uncertainty to volatility in interest rates and exchange rates. For example, a business building a project may not know where borrowing costs will be months from now. A coffee or tea exporter may not know where the exchange rate will be by the time export proceeds come in. That is where risk management solutions come in. For David, the purpose is simple: to help businesses focus on their core work while the bank helps them manage uncertainty around liquidity, pricing, interest rates and foreign exchange volatility. “You can never manage risk 100%,” he says, “but even if you mitigate it, it makes a world of difference between staying solvent and operating — and winding down.” In the wider interview, David connects this risk-management discipline to Absa Uganda’s strong 2025 performance: total income up 16.6% to UGX 637 billion, profit after tax up 25.1% to UGX 222 billion, total assets up 29.4% to UGX 7.03 trillion, and customer deposits up 46.4% to UGX 4.66 trillion. Watch the full interview on CEO East Africa Magazine’s YouTube channel. Link to full video:piped.video/aBdRU93hdbo @StKyamutetera #AbsaUganda #DavidWandera #BankingLeadership #RiskManagement #CEOEastAfrica

Today we celebrate as a tournament changes its name, but not its spirit. On the greens of @UgandaGolf Club every year, the flags move, the course evolves, new faces step up and now, a new chapter begins as what was once the Captain's Bell has now become the Chairman's Bell Tournament. For the eighth consecutive year, @AbsaUganda is proud to stand alongside this journey but we're also doing something new. For the first time, we're introducing a dedicated Caddies Tournament for the men and women who carry those bags often carry a lot of strategy, experience. They change the course for many on the greens so we believe they deserve their moment on the fairway. To the players stepping up, may your swings be true and to everyone who makes this tournament what it is, we see your story. Save the dates starting 13th July and when it’s all said and done, the 19th Hole awaits.

Father’s Day often comes with a complicated mix of emotions for me. I lost my dad before I could really get to know him, but I was fortunate to be surrounded by a circle of remarkable father figures in my grandfather and uncles, who have walked alongside me all my life. They shaped my life in many ways. My late grandfather gave me my earliest appreciation for precision and adventure. My uncles, taught me how to walk alone from home to Kitante Primary School, giving me my first lesson in independence and courage. They taught me how to drive and later what that would mean to take on long journeys like one very memorable drive from Mombasa to Kampala. They gave me my first taste of flying, which opened my mind to a bigger world and greater possibilities and they influenced my career into accounting that gave me confidence to step out on my own and make something meaningful out of life. Today, they still form my small council for perspective on this journey called life. What I’ve come to appreciate, especially now as I watch my girls grow, children need our presence more than our presents. (Though the joy of providing a good present doesn’t also hurt). Fatherhood is a beautiful, often messy journey, but the light in their eyes that comes from sharing joys, structure, and dreams with them makes it deeply worthwhile. On the long days away from them, I want them to always know that even when I’m not there to hold their hands, I will always have their backs. To my late grandfather and to my uncles thank you for stepping in when life created a void. Thank you for teaching me, guiding me, correcting me and enabling me to become the man that I am today. To all the dads, mentors, and father figures pouring into the next generation, may this journey be one that brings you much satisfaction and even with the challenges and may it shape you into better men. Happy Father’s Day.

Today, @AbsaUganda hosted the 5th Absa-NTV Post-Budget Dialogue at @kampalaserena following June 11’s National Budget reading. This platform continues to affirm that Uganda’s growth will be driven not by policy alone, but by the strength of partnership between Government, the private sector and citizens. The FY2026/27 Budget presents a positive outlook, with opportunities across oil and gas, agro-industrialisation, mineral-based industries, science, technology and innovation. But the real test will be execution; how we translate these priorities into stronger businesses, more jobs, greater productivity and better livelihoods. At Absa, we see our role clearly: to provide the capital, innovation and expertise that enable businesses, especially SMEs, to participate meaningfully in Uganda’s next phase of growth. My appreciation goes to PS/ST @rggoobi, our co-sponsors @NTVUganda led by @SusanNsibiriwa, @DeloitteUganda , all our panellists and all participants who contributed to this important conversation. As leaders, our responsibility is to move from dialogue to action. Which priority area do you believe can unlock the greatest growth for Uganda in the year ahead?

In my recent conversation with @CEOEastAfrica Magazine, I broke down the strategy behind building a high-performing culture at @AbsaUganda - focusing on how we empower our people, support our communities, and stay deeply rooted in our core values. Beyond that, we dove deep into what it truly means to lead with purpose, the power of quiet leadership, balancing family grounding with corporate responsibility, and managing the expectations of a fast-changing landscape. Overall, it was a lovely catch-up with @StKyamutetera. Watch here: piped.video/aBdRU93hdbo

We did it again. Bigger, louder, and feeling ever closer to our purpose this year. As always, the Kampala hills were not easy, but the mission behind every step kept us all going, whether you did a few hills or completed all of them. As a girl dad, the goal of keeping girls in school and expanding access to education across Uganda is deeply personal to me, and it was inspiring to see so many Ugandans rally behind this cause. Our intention with the #AbsaKH37HillsRun, is to use it as a platform to help break down some of the biggest barriers to girls’ education in Uganda (poverty, sickness, early marriage, and the lack of menstrual hygiene support that all continue to keep many girls out of school). The other day more than 8,000 runners showed up and 100 companies partnered behind this cause. That growth, for me, signals something very important. More people want to have positive impact on the future of girls through supporting their education journey. That is powerful to see and we are immensely humbled. I want so give a special and heartfelt token of thanks to our partners and to our esteemed chief runner, Ms. @sylmulinge. Your presence elevated this year's run. To everyone who ran, walked, volunteered, cheered, partnered with us, or supported this initiative in any way, thank you. Once again, you demonstrated the incredible impact we can create when we come together to #RunForHer as a community.

A week shy of my first anniversary as CEO at @AbsaUganda, I found myself on a panel discussing Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno’s brilliant book on the humanized leader at the 2026 LEAD convention. The timing felt almost poetic because looking back, this year has been about both the map (for direction) and the mirror (for reflection) for me as a leader. Twenty years as a trader trained me for speed with quick decisions and fast moves, so my map is quite clear. But leading an institution demands a slightly more different rhythm. I now keep a mirror close, invite my colleagues and the Board to challenge me, and constantly ask whether am I demanding of others what I won't do myself. People hear what you say, but they replicate what you do so you cannot lead others until you first master yourself. Growth in leadership is most often found in the humility to ask questions and the empathy to understand that every person interprets leadership through their own unique lens. I am deeply grateful for the board and my colleagues in their different capacities for this opportunity.

I lost my father to the Amin War before my first birthday so I never really got to know him. But in his place, God left me with a warrior in the form of my mother. She was a nurse who worked long shifts, raising me as an only child in a house that was always full of love. Even when things were tough, she shielded and protected me from knowing how tough times were. She taught me that you make do with what you have. You stretch. You survive. You keep moving. To this day, I speak to her every other day and carry her example with me everyday. One of my greatest hope is that my children will experience even a fraction of the strength, sacrifice and love that she has given me. I am eternally grateful for her in my life and wish a Happy Mothers’ day to all doing the much needed job that often goes thankless. Today, I am grateful for her in my life and I celebrate her. And to all mothers quietly carrying families, shaping futures, and loving through sacrifice, Happy Mother’s Day.

What makes a superhero? Often, it’s simply the courage to be exactly who you are. I’m starting this week still feeling supercharged from the weekend’s Autism Awareness Fun Walk, organised by Hannah's Home Holistic Learning Centre under the theme “Shining in Motion.” It was a simple 5km walk but a powerful reminder of what community looks like. The kids came dressed as superheroes. I did the same with a cape and all. Because the truth is, these children (and their parents) show a level of strength, resilience and courage that deserves nothing less. About 700 metres in, my daughter tapped out and I carried her the rest of the way. She isn’t autistic but faces her own learning and speech challenges so that moment stayed with me. It reminded me that every child’s journey is different. Some walk the full distance, unsupported. Some walk the full distance with various supports and some need to be carried. But every single one is shining in motion. While the (few) conversations we have around autism tend to focus on clinical definitions, days like this matter because they celebrate the unique lenses through which neurodiverse individuals experience our flawed world. Autism doesn’t need fixing. Neurodiversity brings perspectives that make us better if we stop forcing everyone into one mould. The inclusion we often talk about must move beyond paper into real practices that build a world where every extraordinary ability finds a place to shine. Kudos to the families, advocates, and organisers for that moving (literally) morning.

Levoyd Robinson grew up in Chicago, the son of a nurse and a plumber. He attended Howard University, where he discovered his interest in finance, thanks in part to his mentor, Wesley Queen, a professor and former director of the Center for Banking Education. See the full #ForbesBLK50: Money Masters list: forbes.com/sites/jabariyoung…

HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE 🫨 Sabastian Sawe becomes the first person ever to break the 2-hour barrier in official race conditions, storming to a historic 1:59:30‼️ @KejelchaYomif, on his marathon debut, also breaks 2 hours with a stunning 1:59:41 and @jacobkiplimo2 clocks 2:00:28, also faster than the previous world record 😤