The 2nd Annual Banking and Financial Research Conference 2026 brought together leaders from across banking and finance, academia and development partners to advance conversations on the future of Uganda’s financial services sector.

In her opening remarks, UIBFS CEO Mrs. Goretti Masadde underscored the critical role of research, data and collaboration in driving meaningful change across the sector.

She recognised Mr. Wilbrod Humphreys Owor, Executive Director of the Uganda Bankers’ Association, and appreciated Mr. Amos Okech of the Kenya Bankers Association for sharing insights from the East African Banking School in Diani, Kenya.

She also acknowledged Centenary Bank, Wazalendo, Bank of Uganda and other institutions that participated in the EABS regional engagement.

“Data is gold, but the real question is: what are we going to do differently?” — Mrs. Goretti Masadde, CEO, UIBFS

Drawing from the Diani discussions, she challenged participants to move beyond conversation and reflect on three key questions: What should we start? What should we stop? What should we do differently?

The conference was organised by the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS) in partnership with the Uganda Bankers’ Association (UBA) and Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS).