Pearl Bank wins inaugural PR Crown Jewel accolade at 10th PRAU Excellence Awards
By Maria Mariam Namala
JINJA – Pearl Bank has emerged as the biggest winner at this year’s Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU) Excellence Awards, taking home the inaugural PR Crown Jewel Award for its communication efforts surrounding the transition from PostBank Uganda to its new identity.
The award was announced during the 10th PRAU Excellence Awards ceremony held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja on Friday. The event formed part of the association’s 50th anniversary celebrations, marking five decades of professional public relations practice in Uganda.
The PR Crown Jewel Award is selected by judges without requiring organisations to submit formal entries. It is ranked below the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was not presented this year. Instead, former PRAU presidents were honoured for their contributions to the association since its establishment in 1976.
Pearl Bank also collected gold awards in Media Relations, Corporate Storytellers and Impact Beyond Profit, alongside a silver award in Culture Champions. The recognition follows the lender’s decision to abandon the PostBank Uganda name about a year ago as part of its corporate rebranding.
The bank, whose history dates back to the Post Office Savings Department established in 1926, was incorporated as PostBank Uganda in 1998. It currently reports operating 59 branches and more than 8,000 agents nationwide.
In the Media Relations category, judges recognised the bank’s efforts to address customer concerns arising from the rebranding. The campaign focused on reassuring customers about the continuity of their accounts, balances, loans, payment cards and deposits through media interviews, leadership engagements and coordinated messaging.
Pearl Bank Managing Director Julius Kakeeto (3rd L) with his team display the awards the bank received as PRAU climaxed its 50th Anniversary Summit in Jinja 23rd October 2026
Figures submitted by the bank indicated that media coverage increased by 41 per cent, rising from 353 stories in 2024 to 498 in 2025. Its reported share of voice in banking coverage reached 10.2 per cent in 2025 before rising to 12 per cent in 2026, placing it second among banks that year.
The Corporate Storytellers award recognised the campaign titled “The Trust Transition: The Name Changed. The Trust Didn’t.” The initiative sought to demonstrate that although the bank’s name had changed, its commitment to customers and delivery of services remained intact.
Pearl Bank’s internal communication efforts were also recognised through the silver award in Culture Champions for its “We Are the Pearl” campaign. The initiative equipped employees at branches and customer service points with information to explain the rebranding and respond to clients’ questions.
Beyond corporate communication, the lender received the Impact Beyond Profit award for supporting the development of bone marrow transplant services in Uganda through a partnership with the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC). The bank contributed Shs200 million towards the initiative and used public campaigns to mobilise additional support.
Pearl Bank’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Priscilla Akora, said the awards demonstrated the value of treating communication as a strategic business function rather than simply a publicity tool.
She explained that effective public relations involves engaging stakeholders, understanding audiences and delivering messages that address their needs, adding that the bank’s central task was to guide customers through its transition to the new identity.
Osman Noor Ahmed, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Busoga Kingdom, presented the award and congratulated PRAU on reaching its 50-year milestone. He highlighted the role of strategic communication in shaping public narratives, influencing policy, preserving cultural heritage and supporting socio-economic development.
The awards were held under the theme “Celebrating 50 Years of Professional Excellence, Shaping the Future of Public Relations.”