Uganda Development Bank (UDB), the country’s Development Finance Institution, has inaugurated a new regional office in Hoima City to improve service delivery across the mid-western region and the wider Albertine area.
Situated at Plot 5, Kyaruhanga Road, the Bunyoro Regional Office will serve as a liaison point for districts including Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kibaale, Kikuube, Kiryandongo, Masindi, Hoima, and Buliisa, among others.
The new office is expected to strengthen UDB’s ability to meet both the financial and advisory needs of local enterprises, promoting greater financial inclusion and balanced economic development throughout the sub-region.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Patricia Ojangole, Managing Director of UDB, emphasized that the new regional presence reinforces the Bank’s national development mandate.
“Extending our footprint to the Bunyoro sub-region demonstrates our commitment to narrowing access gaps and bringing essential financial services closer to the communities that need them. This is crucial for advancing economic empowerment, fostering inclusive growth, and accelerating transformation,” she said.
The office will support private-sector projects that offer strong socio-economic benefits in key areas such as primary agriculture; industry—including agro-industrialization, manufacturing, knowledge-based sectors, and extractives; as well as services such as health, tourism, education, and technology, and essential infrastructure.
Jeniffer Namuyangu, State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, noted that the expansion positions the region to fully exploit its economic potential, especially in agriculture, oil and gas, and tourism.
“The opening of a regional office in Bunyoro is a vital step towards strengthening inclusive economic development. By bringing services closer to the people, UDB is reducing cost and distance barriers while accelerating investment, job creation, and value addition within the sub-region,” she said.
She added that the government remains committed to ensuring broad-based growth and empowering every region to contribute meaningfully to national development.
In 2025, UDB approved new loans worth Shs 75 billion for five enterprises within the Bunyoro sub-region. These investments are projected to create 2,322 jobs, generate an additional Shs 421.7 billion in output, contribute Shs 406 billion in foreign exchange earnings, deliver Shs 22 billion in profits, and return Shs 6.58 billion in tax contributions to the government.
