More than 30,000 low-income women entrepreneurs in the Busoga sub-region are set to benefit from affordable financing, business development services and digital financial solutions under a new partnership between the Busoga Kingdom, the Gates Foundation and Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL).
The Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Programme, launched at the Busoga Kingdom headquarters in Bugembe, is designed to address one of the biggest challenges facing women-owned nano and micro enterprises: limited access to affordable credit, business skills and financial services.
The initiative will provide women entrepreneurs with affordable financing alongside entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, digital skills, mentorship, insurance, savings products and market linkages to help them build sustainable businesses and improve household incomes.
The programme combines the Busoga Kingdom’s grassroots mobilisation network, the Gates Foundation’s expertise in financial inclusion and Stanbic’s banking and enterprise development services delivered through Stanbic Bank Uganda and Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL).
Representing the Kyabazinga of Busoga, His Majesty William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, the Katukiro of Busoga Kingdom, Dr. Joseph Muvawala, said empowering women economically is critical to Uganda’s social and economic transformation.
In a message delivered by Dr. Muvawala, the Kyabazinga said women play a central role in supporting households but continue to face barriers in accessing finance and business opportunities.
“When you empower a woman economically, you uplift an entire family and strengthen the community. Many women work tirelessly to support their households yet continue to face barriers in accessing finance and business opportunities,” the message read.
He said the partnership would equip women with the tools, knowledge and confidence needed to build sustainable enterprises and improve their livelihoods.
Dr. Muvawala said the programme complements government efforts aimed at improving household incomes by combining affordable financing with practical business development support.
“Access to capital alone is not enough. Entrepreneurs also need skills, mentorship and market opportunities to build resilient businesses. This partnership addresses those needs in an integrated way, creating lasting economic opportunities for women and their families,” he said.
Women own and operate thousands of Uganda’s micro and small enterprises, particularly in the informal sector, but many remain excluded from formal financial systems because of limited collateral, low financial literacy and financial products that do not adequately meet their needs.
Speaking on behalf of Stanbic Bank Uganda, Stephen Segujja, the Head of the Economic Enterprise Restart Fund (EERF), said the initiative aligns with the bank’s commitment to expanding economic opportunities for underserved communities.
“At Stanbic, we believe economic inclusion is one of the most powerful drivers of sustainable development. Through this partnership, women entrepreneurs will gain access not only to affordable financing, but also to the business skills, digital capabilities and market connections they need to grow resilient enterprises,” Segujja said.
He noted that the programme builds on Stanbic’s experience in supporting enterprise development. Through the Economic Enterprise Restart Fund, the bank mobilised USD 40 million in partnerships and extended more than UGX 370 billion in financing to over 8,000 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs).
Segujja added that the bank’s Stanbic For Her programme has also supported more than 10,000 women entrepreneurs with over UGX 200 billion in financing, alongside financial literacy training, governance support, bookkeeping and market access initiatives.
He said the Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme contributes to Stanbic’s broader Positive Impact Agenda, under which the bank has committed to mobilise up to UGX 1 trillion through strategic partnerships supporting women, youth and farmers.
Catherine Poran, the Chief Executive of Stanbic Business Incubator Limited, said enterprise development would be essential to ensuring women-owned businesses remain sustainable beyond receiving financing.
“Access to finance creates opportunity, but enterprise development sustains it. Our role is to equip women entrepreneurs with practical business skills, financial management capabilities, digital literacy and mentorship so they can build businesses that create jobs, increase household incomes and contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s economy,” Poran said.
One of the beneficiaries, Safinah Namukose, a trader from Buwenge, described the programme as a timely intervention for women seeking to expand their businesses.
“Many women have the determination to succeed but lack affordable financing and the skills to expand their businesses. This programme gives us hope that more women will be able to improve their incomes, support their families and create opportunities for others,” Namukose said.
The initiative comes as Stanbic Bank Uganda marks 35 years of operations in Uganda, with the partners expressing confidence that the programme can become a model for promoting financial inclusion, women’s enterprise development and inclusive economic growth across the country.
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