By Mariam Kyagulanyi
KAMPALA. Centenary Bank has ushered in a new leadership chapter with Godfrey Byekwaso taking over as Managing Director .
He takes over from Fabian Kasi, who has been at the helm for 16 years.
Byekwaso said his focus would be to build on the bank’s strong foundation while preserving customer trust, strengthening financial inclusion and accelerating innovation.
Speaking during a leadership transition media breakfast, Byekwaso said the bank’s success has been built on trust and its commitment to delivering inclusive financial solutions.
“The bank has built on trust. That is one thing that has made the bank a success and we should preserve and never lose that trust that the customer has in the bank,” he said.
He said the bank would continue improving customer experience by investing in technology, efficiency and people development as customer expectations evolve.
“Customers now want speed service, convenient service, and therefore we need to accelerate our delivery of that good customer experience,” Byekwaso said.
The new MD said Centenary Bank would continue supporting key customer segments, including farmers, youth, women and rural communities, through accessible financial solutions.
Kasi, said leadership transitions should focus on preserving institutional values rather than individual personalities.
“Institutions to lead, we don’t own them, but rather we are supposed to steward them and ensure that we leave them in a better state than we found them,” he said.
During his tenure, Centenary Bank expanded its reach, invested in digital banking channels and deepened its focus on financial inclusion.
Reflecting on the importance of customer confidence in banking, Kasi said trust remains the foundation of any financial institution.
“The only commodity we sell to the public as a bank is trust. If that trust is eroded, even for a single day, then we lose the plot,” he said
Kasi said continued investment in people, technology and systems would be critical for the bank’s future growth, as Byekwaso takes charge of the next phase of its development.