KAMPALA — Equity Bank Uganda has recognised 80 customers for their loyalty, business growth, community impact and continued engagement with the bank as it marked Customer Service Week 2026 under the theme “Going the Extra Mile.”
The customers, drawn from different sectors, were recognised during a customer appreciation breakfast held at Protea Kampala on Thursday, with similar celebrations taking place across the bank’s Northern, Eastern and Western regions.
Among those honoured were some of the bank’s oldest active customers, most progressive customers, repeat borrowers, top depositors and customers whose work has made a significant impact in their communities.
For some of those recognised, the relationship with Equity Bank has gone beyond ordinary banking transactions, evolving into partnerships that have supported business expansion and community development.
For Alfred Anyoti, Managing Director of Ana Investments Uganda Limited, the relationship with Equity Bank started with a personal account in 2011.
More than a decade later, that relationship has grown alongside his agricultural engineering business, helping him pursue and execute larger opportunities.
Anyoti said when he needed capital to expand his business, his relationship manager, Hillary Andrews, guided him on how to strengthen his financial position.
With limited assets available as security at the time, Anyoti invested about Shs500 million in developing property, which later strengthened his ability to access financing.
He subsequently secured a government contract worth about Shs1 billion, with financing from Equity Bank enabling him to execute the contract.
“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 how access to finance, combined with financial guidance, can help businesses move from smaller opportunities to larger contracts.
For Solomon Serwanjja, the relationship with Equity Bank began much earlier in his personal journey when he opened an account while he was a university student.
Today, his organisation has about five accounts with the bank.
However, his ambitions now extend beyond personal and organisational growth.
As Chairman of Bamutakudde Village and CEO of the African Institute for Investigative Journalism, Serwanjja is championing a five-year development plan aimed at improving livelihoods in his community.
The plan includes increasing access to clean water, strengthening accountability and improving household incomes.
The community is pursuing plans to sink three boreholes after geological studies identified suitable locations.
Serwanjja is also promoting a poultry initiative that would bring households together in the production, branding and marketing of eggs.
The target is to help 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.
Speaking at the breakfast, Equity Bank Uganda Head of Customer Experience Jael Christine Wawulira said the celebration was an opportunity to appreciate customers while reflecting on the experiences the bank creates for them.
She said going the extra mile requires businesses to listen to customers, respond with empathy and ensure that they feel valued.
Equity Bank Uganda Executive Director Claver Serumaga said the stories shared by customers demonstrated the positive impact of relationships that are often not publicly recognised.
He, however, acknowledged that the bank has also faced challenges, including system failures that have frustrated some customers.
Serumaga said the bank has invested in technology, systems and its people to improve service delivery.
The investments include a dedicated technology team, a new data centre opened earlier this year, upgraded internet and mobile banking platforms, and improved technology for Equity agents.
The bank is also reviewing its branch coverage and strengthening its contact centre to improve access to customer support.
Serumaga said about 90 per cent of the bank’s staff had received artificial intelligence certification, equipping them with skills to help customers explore how technology can improve their businesses.
The recognition of the 80 customers highlighted different dimensions of the bank-customer relationship, from saving and borrowing to business expansion and community development.
For Anyoti, financing helped turn a business opportunity into a contract worth about Shs1 billion.
For Serwanjja, a relationship that began with a university account has evolved into a partnership supporting wider community ambitions.
The stories, shared as part of Customer Service Week, reinforced the bank’s message that going the extra mile is not simply about transactions.
It is about building relationships that help customers grow and enabling them to use those opportunities to create impact in their families, businesses and communities.
As similar customer appreciation events take place across Equity Bank Uganda’s regions, the bank is using the week to celebrate not only the customers it serves, but also the journeys that have developed alongside those relationships.
