Stanbic Bank Uganda has reopened its refurbished Kalangala branch as part of efforts to improve banking services and deepen financial inclusion across the Ssese Islands.

The upgraded facility, which has undergone both interior and exterior renovations, now features modern equipment and improved spaces aimed at making banking more convenient and efficient for customers in the island community.

The unveiling also formed part of Stanbic Bank’s celebrations of 35 years of operations in Uganda.

The refurbished branch was officially inaugurated by Mark Ocitti Ongom, Chief Executive of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL), during his first familiarisation tour of the business following his appointment in July.

Ocitti was joined by Mumba Kenneth Kalifungwa, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Uganda, Sylvia Mulomi, Head of People and Culture, as well as local community leaders.

For Ocitti, the Kalangala investment reflects the wider role Stanbic continues to play in supporting communities beyond Uganda’s major urban centres.

“As we mark 35 years of operating in Uganda, seeing our anchor subsidiary continue to create shared value for our stakeholders from customers and shareholders to the wider community is a true reflection of our core purpose: Uganda is our home, we drive her growth,” Ocitti said.

Kalifungwa said the refurbishment was designed with the needs of customers in Kalangala in mind, particularly as the bank seeks to bring more island residents into the formal financial system.

“Customer experience remains at the core of our growth strategy,” Kalifungwa noted.

He added that the upgraded facility would provide customers with a more modern and reliable banking environment while supporting the bank’s efforts to empower women, young people and farmers across the island communities.

The Kalangala branch upgrade is part of Stanbic Bank’s broader strategy to strengthen its physical and digital banking presence across Uganda.

The bank currently operates more than 83 branches and over 7,000 active bank agents, providing access to financial services in both urban and hard-to-reach communities.

For Kalangala, where residents and businesses rely heavily on sectors such as tourism, agriculture, fishing and other island-based economic activities, improved access to formal financial services could provide greater opportunities for savings, credit, payments and business growth.

The refurbishment therefore goes beyond giving the branch a new look. It represents Stanbic’s attempt to make its banking infrastructure more accessible to communities that are often geographically separated from Uganda’s main economic centres.

As the bank marks 35 years in Uganda, the renewed Kalangala branch adds to its continued push to combine physical banking infrastructure with digital and agency banking to reach more customers across the country.