Equity Executive Director Claver Serumaga (middle) with some of the award winners at the Customer Appreciation Breakfast at Protea Hotel
KAMPALA: A banking relationship that began with a personal account has helped an agricultural engineering firm pursue a government contract worth about Shs1 billion, while another customer is mobilising his community around clean water and household income projects.
Equity Bank Uganda recognised 80 customers during Customer Service Week 2026, celebrating relationships built through saving, borrowing, business growth and community engagement.
The customers were honoured at an appreciation breakfast at Protea Hotel Kampala under the theme “Going the Extra Mile,” with similar celebrations held across the bank’s northern, eastern and western regions.
The recognition covered some of the bank’s longest-serving active customers, repeat borrowers, top depositors and customers whose businesses and community initiatives have made a notable impact.
For Alfred Anyoti, managing director of Ana Investments Uganda Limited, the relationship with Equity Bank has grown alongside his business, demonstrating how financial guidance and access to credit can help entrepreneurs pursue larger commercial opportunities.
Anyoti opened a personal account with the bank in 2011. As his agricultural engineering business expanded, he turned to the bank for financing to take on bigger opportunities.
He said his relationship manager, Hillary Andrews, advised him on strengthening his financial position when he had limited assets available to provide as security.
Acting on the guidance, Anyoti invested about Shs500 million in property development, which subsequently strengthened his ability to access financing.
He later secured a government contract worth about Shs1 billion, with funding from Equity Bank helping him execute the assignment.
“Business opportunities often come with strict timelines, and having access to financing at the right time can make a significant difference,” Anyoti said.
His experience illustrates a challenge facing many businesses: securing a contract is only part of the journey, as entrepreneurs must also find the financing and working capital required to deliver on their commitments.
For Anyoti, the bank relationship developed beyond depositing money and borrowing. It also involved financial guidance that helped position his business to pursue a larger contract.
From banking to community development
For Solomon Serwanjja, chairman of Bamutakudde Village and chief executive officer of the African Institute for Investigative Journalism, the relationship with Equity Bank began during his university years.
What started as a student account has since grown into an organisational banking relationship involving about five accounts.
(L) Clare Tumwesigye, Head of Marketing together with Juliet Muheirwe, Head of Human Resources, handed Serwanjja his prize.
Beyond his professional work, Serwanjja is championing a five-year community development plan aimed at improving living conditions and strengthening household incomes in Bamutakudde.
The plan includes expanding access to clean water, promoting accountability and supporting income-generating activities.
The community is pursuing plans to construct three boreholes after geological studies identified suitable locations. Serwanjja is also promoting a poultry initiative through which households would collaborate in egg production, branding and marketing.
The initiative aims to help participating households work towards earning at least Shs20,000 a day.
“We want to work together to improve the communities in which we live,” he said.
His story highlights how customers’ ambitions can extend beyond personal financial security to wider social and economic development.
Banks face rising service expectations
Speaking at the breakfast, Equity Bank Uganda Head of Customer Experience Jael Christine Wawulira said Customer Service Week offered an opportunity to appreciate customers while reflecting on how businesses respond to their needs.
She said delivering exceptional service requires organisations to listen to customers, respond with empathy and ensure that people feel valued throughout their interactions with the business.
For banks, customer experience extends beyond the availability of financial products to the reliability of systems, ease of accessing services and the speed with which problems are resolved.
Equity Bank Uganda Executive Director Claver Serumaga acknowledged that the bank had experienced challenges, including system failures that frustrated some customers.
He said the bank had been investing in technology, infrastructure and staff capabilities to improve service delivery.
The investments include a dedicated technology team, a data centre opened earlier this year, upgrades to internet and mobile banking platforms, and improvements to the technology used by Equity agents.
The bank is also reviewing its branch coverage and strengthening its contact centre to improve access to customer support.
Serumaga added that about 90 per cent of the bank’s staff had received artificial intelligence certification, equipping them with skills to help customers explore ways technology could support their businesses.
The investments come as customers increasingly expect banking services to be accessible, reliable and responsive, whether they are dealing with staff in branches or using digital platforms.
Building relationships beyond transactions
The recognition of the 80 customers reflected different dimensions of the bank’s engagement with its customers, from long-term saving and borrowing to enterprise development and community initiatives.
Anyoti’s experience demonstrates the role financing can play in helping a business pursue larger contracts, while Serwanjja’s plans illustrate how individual and organisational ambitions can extend into community development.
For Equity Bank, the challenge is to sustain these relationships by combining access to financial services with dependable customer support.
The Customer Service Week celebrations therefore provided an opportunity not only to recognise customer loyalty but also to highlight the expectations that come with long-term banking relationships.
As banks compete for customers, the ability to offer appropriate financial solutions, maintain reliable systems and respond effectively to customer needs will remain important in determining whether those relationships endure.
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