By Maria Mariam Namala
Fabian Kasi has officially handed over the leadership of Centenary Bank, to Godfrey Byekwaso after 16 years at the helm of Uganda’s largest commercial bank by customer numbers.
The handover marked the end of Kasi’s transformative era that significantly expanded the institution’s reach, financial strength and role in promoting financial inclusion.
Kasi formally stepped down on July 1, 2026, leaving behind a bank that has grown from serving approximately 850,000 customers in 2010 to more than 3.4 million customers today, while maintaining its founding mission of providing accessible financial services to ordinary Ugandans.
Speaking during a farewell engagement with members of the media, Kasi described the leadership transition as a testament to the bank’s institutional strength and long-term vision.
“We are here to celebrate succession because what is most important is not the change of leaders, but rather the continuation of the vision of the institution,” Kasi said. “The bank is here to stay.”
His remarks underscored a leadership philosophy that prioritised institutional continuity over individual leadership, with a focus on building a resilient organisation capable of serving customers and contributing to Uganda’s economic development for generations.
When Kasi assumed office in 2010, Centenary Bank operated 37 branches, managed a loan portfolio of about shs 400 billion and held customer deposits worth approximately shs700 billion. The bank has since expanded to 81 branches nationwide and operates more than 9,000 agent banking points, making financial services more accessible across Uganda.
The institution has also registered remarkable financial growth during his tenure. Customer deposits have risen to more than shs5.2 trillion, while the loan portfolio has expanded to over shs4.1 trillion. Total assets now stand above shs8.6 trillion, and the bank posted a profit after tax of shs424.2 billion in 2025, cementing its position among Uganda’s leading financial institutions.
Asked to summarise his leadership journey in three words, Kasi chose “growth, transformation and impact.”
Those achievements were driven not only by financial expansion but also by significant investments in technology aimed at improving customer experience.
“When I joined, the bank was mainly known for long queues,” he recalled.
To address that challenge, Centenary Bank invested heavily in digital banking solutions, including mobile banking, internet banking, agency banking and other alternative service channels that have transformed customer access to financial services.
Today, nearly half of all transactions, about 49 percent, are processed through the bank’s agent banking network, significantly reducing travel costs and improving convenience for customers, particularly in rural communities.
Despite the institution’s impressive financial growth, Kasi said trust remains the bank’s most valuable asset.
“The only commodity we sell is trust,” he said.
He noted that the confidence placed in the bank by millions of customers has enabled it to grow deposits, expand lending and strengthen partnerships with government, development partners, community organisations and the private sector.
The trust has also enabled Centenary Bank to deepen financial inclusion. By the end of 2025, more than 2.39 million customers, representing 77.6 percent of its customer base, belonged to underserved communities.