KCB Bank Uganda took centre stage at the 2026 PEWOSA (Private Exporters of Washed and Other Special Arabica) Exhibition, held in Lubiri, as both a sponsor and panelist. The three-day exhibition brought together a cross-section of Uganda’s business community, including manufacturers, financial institutions, schools, contractors, coffee cooperatives, and SME aggregators, to explore trade opportunities, build partnerships, and chart a path toward a more diversified, resilient economy.
The bank engaged directly with exhibitors and attendees through an interactive exhibition stand and a high-level panel discussion on sustainable agricultural financing. Visitors had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with banking specialists, explore tailored financial solutions, and learn how the bank is actively partnering with entrepreneurs at every stage of their growth journey, from smallholder farmers in the highlands to urban SME owners seeking working capital.
While Uganda’s economy is anchored by its agricultural and SME sectors, with coffee alone generating approximately $2.4 billion in annual export earnings according to the Bank of Uganda, this macro success masks deep structural gaps. Women provide the majority of labor across the agricultural value chain, yet they own less than 20% of productive land and processing infrastructure. Similarly, young entrepreneurs are often locked out by steep barriers to entry, caught between ambitious scaling plans and a lack of affordable credit, all while facing severe post-harvest losses that erode margins before their produce even reaches the market. Beyond agribusiness, SMEs in manufacturing, trade, and services face this same fundamental hurdle.
To dismantle these barriers and unlock real economic opportunity, the bank is channelling low-cost, long-term financing directly to youth groups, women-led cooperatives, and agribusiness aggregators. The practical results are tangible: farmers acquiring modern solar dryers and eco-friendly pulpers that slash post-harvest losses; cooperatives gaining the processing infrastructure to move beyond raw bean sales into higher-value export markets; and young agriculture entrepreneurs generating income and creating jobs in their communities.
Niwagaba-SME-Manager-KCB-Bank-Uganda
Furthermore, KCB Bank Uganda showcased a robust suite of solutions at PEWOSA specifically designed to support households, entrepreneurs, and SMEs. For businesses seeking to optimize cash flow, the bank offers short-term loans of up to UGX 500 million. Specialized school-financing loans are also available to help families and institutions in farming communities invest in education. Additionally, the bank’s clean energy loan for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) enables rural households to transition away from biomass fuels, simultaneously protecting family health and the vital forest cover of coffee-growing regions. Local entrepreneurs can also register as KCB Bank agents or merchants, opening lucrative new income streams while strengthening the community-level financial network.
Digital access was another highlight of the bank’s participation. Visitors were shown how any Ugandan can open a fully functional bank account instantly by dialling *244# removing a historic barrier to formal financial services and making inclusion a practical reality rather than an aspiration.
Wensi Niwagaba, SME Manager, KCB Bank Uganda said, “Today, we have engaged many enterprises in different sectors of the economy a few to mention in the areas of manufacturing and construction, in the health sector, in the agriculture sector, in the transport sector, and all of the exhibitors have been engaged on how they can access cheap and affordable financing from KCB Bank Uganda, with a key focus area of coffee value chain, where the participants have been encouraged to access funds in under-group production to boost their production levels. The farmers have been encouraged to access funds for agro-marketing and agro-distribution to boost their businesses. They have also been encouraged to access financing in agro-processing for purposes of value addition.’’
“We’ve also encouraged people from across the country, especially in agriculture-rich areas, to form groups and associations where KCB Bank shall be facilitating financial literacy trainings to ensure that all our customers, especially in agriculture, are empowered and they can access services from KCB Bank Uganda from all branches across the country’’ he added
Gladys Nalukenge, Relationship Manager for Women in Business at KCB Bank Uganda, shared a similar vision: “Women are the backbone of Uganda’s agricultural economy, yet for too long they have worked without ownership, processed without profit, and invested without formal recognition. PEWOSA allowed us to meet these women exactly where they are and show them that a different future is possible. Whether it is a cooperative leader, a market KCB Flme is built around her specific reality trader, or a mother managing a household on a seasonal income, KCB Bank Flme built around her specific reality. We left the exhibition with vital new partnerships and a renewed resolve to ensure that women don’t just participate in Uganda’s economic growth, but actively lead it.
Uganda’s entrepreneurs are enterprising, resilient and ready to scale; they simply need a financial partner willing to meet them at their level. Through its active presence at PEWOSA 2026, KCB Bank Uganda reinforces its role as a trusted growth partner, committed to enabling businesses to thrive, innovate and contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s prosperity
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