Owek. Robert Wagwa Nsibirwa cutting a ribbon during the grand opening of the first Semaduuka in Mubende Municipality. Looking on is Tunde Thorpe and Melisa Nyakwera from Stanbic Bank Uganda. Ssemaduuka, is a one-stop agricultural business centre aimed at expanding access to structured credit, strengthening SACCOs, and formalising coffee value
chains across the Kingdom
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I A new partnership between Stanbic Bank Uganda and the Buganda Kingdom is set to fundamentally reshape the operations and impact of Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies (SACCOs), while drawing thousands of rural Ugandans into the formal money economy.
The two institutions on Monday launched Ssemaduuka, a one-stop agricultural business centre designed to expand access to structured credit for farmer-owned SACCOs, strengthen cooperative governance, and formalise agricultural value chains—especially coffee—across the Kingdom. The initiative is being implemented through the Buganda Cultural and Development Foundation (BUCADEF) and marks a shift from fragmented agricultural interventions to a coordinated economic ecosystem.
At the launch held at Mayors Gardens, Stanbic’s Head of Business and Commercial Banking, Tunde Thorpe, said Ssemaduuka is tailored to empower SACCOs as engines of rural financial inclusion and economic transformation.
Financing the value chain
“Ssemaduuka allows us to finance the entire value chain from inputs to export. It strengthens SACCO governance, improves farmer productivity, formalises payments, and expands access to markets. This is ecosystem banking designed to deliver measurable impact,” Thorpe said.
For SACCOs, the gains are multifaceted. Under the new model, BUCADEF will identify and recommend qualifying farmer SACCOs, which Stanbic will then assess and support with structured credit facilities. This approach provides SACCOs with access to affordable, predictable financing—an area that has long constrained their ability to lend to members, invest in infrastructure, and expand outreach.
Emmanuel Naigombe, Head of Agribusiness at Stanbic Bank, explained that farmers will access quality inputs through Masaza stores, while their produce will be aggregated and linked to organised buyers. Crucially, all transactions will be digitised through Stanbic’s One Farm platform, enabling trade finance solutions and seamless payment flows.
This digitisation is expected to bring thousands of smallholder farmers and cooperative members into the formal financial system. By replacing cash-based transactions with secure digital payments, SACCO members will build transaction histories, improve their creditworthiness, and gain access to a broader range of financial services—deepening financial inclusion across rural communities.
Boost SACCO governance
The formalisation of payments and trade is also likely to strengthen SACCO governance and accountability. With clear digital records, cooperatives can improve transparency, reduce leakages, and enhance trust among members—key ingredients for sustainable growth.
Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, the Second Deputy Premier and Minister for Finance, Investments, Planning and Economic Development in the Buganda Kingdom, described Ssemaduuka as a transformative intervention aimed at lifting household incomes and modernising agriculture.
“Wealth will not find you in your house; it finds you in the garden. Agriculture is the backbone of our people’s prosperity, and through initiatives like this, we are planting a future where every household is self-reliant,” Nsibirwa said, urging residents to embrace SACCO-led agribusiness.
Beyond financing, the partnership aligns with Stanbic’s Positive Impact Agenda, which focuses on women, youth, and farmers through financial inclusion, enterprise-led job creation, and climate resilience. Research shows that over 70 percent of PEWOSA SACCO members are women, positioning Ssemaduuka as a powerful driver of women-led enterprises and inclusive growth.
Farmer’s testimonies
For farmers like Frank Nyanzi, a 57-year-old coffee grower from Madudu Sub-county, the initiative offers a lifeline. Years of climate shocks, pest outbreaks, and limited access to affordable financing have eroded his yields and income.
“We have been trying our best to manage our farms, but we have been limited by a lack of long-term, reliable financing. We have struggled to invest in irrigation and often end up buying substandard inputs,” Nyanzi said.
Through SACCOs strengthened by Ssemaduuka, farmers like Nyanzi will access better-quality inputs, reliable markets, and affordable credit—helping to stabilise incomes and restore confidence in agriculture as a viable business.
Crops such as coffee remain central to Uganda’s rural economy, yet their potential has been constrained by weak financing structures and fragmented markets. By empowering SACCOs as hubs of credit, aggregation, and digital payments, the Stanbic–Buganda partnership aims to transform coffee farming from a vulnerable subsistence activity into a resilient, commercially viable enterprise.
As Stanbic Bank Uganda approaches 35 years in 2026, the launch of Ssemaduuka underscores its commitment to national development under the banner: “Uganda is our home, we drive her growth.” For SACCOs and their members, the initiative signals a new era of opportunity—one that promises to integrate thousands more Ugandans into the formal money economy while building a stronger, more inclusive agricultural sector.
