Centenary Bank officially opens 81st branch in Kalongo, Agago district

17 May 2026, 12:18

By Ekel Bonny Daniel

Centenary Bank has opened its 81st branch in Kalongo Town Council, Agago District, becoming its 13th branch in Northern Uganda. The launch highlighted improved financial access, support for farmers and businesses, and rural economic growth. Leaders praised the bank’s role in enhancing security, expanding credit services, and promoting agribusiness and community development.

Centenary Bank marked a historic milestone on Saturday 16^th May 2026 with the official inauguration of its Kalongo Branch in Agago District, northern Uganda, reinforcing its long-standing mission of expanding financial inclusion and transforming rural economies.

The new branch becomes the bank’s 81st nationwide and the 13th in Northern Uganda, signaling a continued push into undeserved communities.

The ceremony, held at the Centenary Bank premises in Kalongo Town Council, drew a wide cross-section of stakeholders including church leaders, government representatives, local authorities, business owners, customers, and bank executives.

The event was both celebratory and reflective, highlighting Kalongo’s resilience and its growing role in Uganda’s financial landscape.

Delivering a powerful testimony on behalf of the local community, LC1 leader of the Mission Word Cell where the bank is located, Ojik Angilo, recalled the harsh realities that existed before the bank’s arrival.

He described an environment where traders had no safe place to store money, leaving them vulnerable to theft and intimidation.

“Criminals would even track people home after business transactions,” he noted, emphasizing the insecurity that once stifled economic activity.

Ojik Angilo further explained that the absence of formal financial services had long constrained growth, as residents lacked access to loans and business expansion opportunities.

He praised Centenary Bank for transforming the situation by improving financial safety, enabling credit access, and boosting local trade.

He also highlighted the bank’s agricultural lending model, which allows farmer groups to access loans for crops such as maize, soybeans, and sunflower, repayable after harvest.

Customer representative, Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo, former Leader of Opposition in the Parliament of Uganda, commended Centenary Bank for its responsiveness to community needs, including financial support of UGX 5 million for local initiatives.

He described Kalongo as a historically significant area shaped by missionary work, resilience during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict, and its identity as part of the “Land of Martyrs,” referencing the legacy of the Paimol Martyrs and Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli.

Professor Ogenga Latigo emphasized the importance of SACCOs and cooperative systems in rural development, proposing structured agricultural production linked to education financing.

He called for planned development around mission areas and cautioned against uncontrolled urbanization, particularly bars and nightclubs near sacred institutions.

He stressed collaboration between the Church, financial institutions, and the community as essential for sustainable transformation.

In his remarks, Bernard Otti, Branch Manager of Centenary Bank Kalongo Branch, described the branch as a “child of the Archdiocese,” reflecting strong Church partnership in its establishment.

He noted that the branch is intended to strengthen financial services within the region and encouraged cooperation between church institutions, local leadership, and the business community to support its growth.

He explained that the institution will rely on partnerships from different stakeholders to ensure effective service delivery and sustainability of the branch.

The Managing Director of Centenary Bank, Dr. Fabian Kasi, outlined the institution’s broader impact, noting that since opening operations in Kalongo on 30 June 2025, the branch has already served approximately 4,000 customers, supported by 11 active banking agents.

He reported UGX 1.4 billion in deposits mobilized and UGX 2.4 billion in loans disbursed.

Dr. Kasi reaffirmed Centenary Bank’s commitment to agribusiness development, emphasizing value addition and structured production systems beyond traditional farming.

He highlighted the bank’s national strength, including UGX 424 billion in profit (2025), UGX 8.6 trillion balance sheet size, UGX 6 trillion in deposits, and a customer base exceeding 3.5 million.

He further underscored the bank’s focus on women, youth, farmers, SACCOs, village savings groups, and government programs such as SAGE, reaffirming its role as a driver of inclusive economic transformation across Uganda.

The Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese, Most Rev. Raphael p’Mony Wokorach, the main celebrant expressed gratitude to Centenary Bank for its service and reliability.

He urged the community to strengthen its identity through the Church, hospital, and bank, institutions that define Kalongo’s legacy.

He called for environmental protection, road development, and tree planting, while emphasizing that ethical banking is part of evangelization and moral responsibility.

He concluded by encouraging residents to open accounts, embrace financial discipline, and continue strengthening cooperation between the Church and financial institutions.

As the ribbon was cut, Kalongo officially entered a new chapter one defined by financial empowerment, institutional partnership, and renewed hope for sustainable rural transformation in Northern Uganda.