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’ve 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 churchand 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 othercommunity 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.
