United Bank for Africa – Uganda on Monday fulfilled the pledge of shs570 million they had promised to donate to the Ugandan government towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The donation was made to President Museveni by the UBA Uganda Managing Director, Johnson Agoreyo at Entebbe State House.
The funds are expected to provide significant and much needed support for relief materials, critical care facilities, and financial support in curbing the COVID -19 pandemic.
The president appreciated the donation which he said would go towards procurement of more government vehicles to be used in transporting medical kits and facilitate workers in the fight against the pandemic.
“I will use it to buy, may be, three (3) four-wheel drive vehicles to use, by the Ministry of Health to use in this effort,”Museveni said while addressing the nation.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, UBA Managing Director, Johnson Agoreyo said the donation was part of their corporate social responsibility to their customers.
“We strongly believe that this donation will not only provide the additional needed funds to government and the Ministry of Health efforts to curb the spread of Coronavirus but will also serve to protect the health care workers who are at the frontline of fighting the pandemic,”Agoreyo noted.
He said that in addition to the donation, UBA Uganda has executed measures at its branches to protect both its staff and customers from the coronavirus pandemic.
“These include use of sanitizers, gloves and temperature guns. The bank has also waived charges on selected key services, in addition to encouraging customers to use its alternative channels for transacting,” he noted.
UBA group has made similar donations to 20 African countries where it has a presence, totaling to $14 million.
The UBA Group Chairman Tony Elumelu recently said, ‘This is a time when we must all play our part. This global epidemic must bring citizens, governments and business leaders together – and quickly. As we see a rapidly increasing number of cases of the coronavirus in Africa, the private sector has to work hand in hand with various governments, in stemming the spread of the global pandemic.”
United Bank for Africa operates in 20 African countries and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States and France.