Centenary Group, through its technology subsidiary Centenary Technology Services (Cente-Tech), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MicroPay Uganda to develop and scale digital solutions aimed at improving access to essential services in education, healthcare, and insurance.
The partnership seeks to address challenges faced by individuals and families in accessing and paying for essential services by leveraging digital technology to create more convenient, affordable, and inclusive solutions.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at Mapeera House in Kampala on Monday, Centenary Group Board Chairman Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu said the partnership builds on the institution’s long-standing commitment to extending financial services to underserved communities.
“Centenary’s story has always been about the people other institutions overlooked. We took banking to the market vendor, to the smallholder farmer and to the family saving a little at a time in a trading centre far from any branch. That is the legacy entrusted to us: meaningful inclusion, carried all the way to the last mile,” Prof. Ddumba said.
Under the partnership, Cente-Tech and MicroPay Uganda will develop digital solutions that simplify education payments and financing, improve access to healthcare services, and transform the way insurance products, premiums, and claims are managed.
In education, the partners will explore digital tools that enable parents and guardians to save towards school fees, make payments in instalments, and potentially access financing based on their payment history.
The solutions will also support schools by improving visibility of cash flows and payment collections.
In healthcare, the partnership will focus on using digital platforms and agent networks to bring services closer to communities, reducing challenges linked to distance, accessibility, and payment processes.
The insurance component will focus on digitising access to policies, enabling flexible premium payments, and improving claims processing to make insurance services more accessible to families.
Peter Kahiigi, Chief Technology Officer at Centenary Technology Services, said technology can play a key role in removing barriers created by geography and income levels.
“ICT is an equaliser. A farmer with a phone can reach the same financial services as an executive in Kampala. Technology does not care where you were born or how much you earn, and when it is built well, it erases distances that money and geography have kept in place for generations,” Kahiigi said.
Cente-Tech will contribute its technology expertise, while Centenary Group will leverage its nationwide ecosystem and customer reach.
The partnership builds on Cente-Tech’s digital services expansion, including the launch of GonzaPay, which is supported by more than 9,000 Cente Agents across Uganda.
Kahiigi said the success of the partnership will be measured by the impact it creates for users.
“Our measure of success is not this ceremony. It is the first school term where fees flow without queues, and the first claim paid in days instead of weeks. Let us get to work,” he said.
He added that the partnership could eventually support regional expansion, with successful solutions developed in Uganda potentially being introduced in other markets where Centenary Group operates.
MicroPay Uganda board chairperson, Dr. Aduwo Jennifer said strategic partnerships are critical in achieving meaningful financial inclusion.
“The tangible benefits of financial inclusion can only be fully realised through purposeful and visionary partnerships such as this collaboration between MicroPay Uganda and the Centenary Group,” Dr. Ndyareeba said.
She noted that MicroPay Uganda brings more than 12 years of experience in digital payments, supported by its licensing as a Payment Service Provider and Payment System Operator under the regulation of the Bank of Uganda.
“By combining our expertise with Centenary Group’s strong community presence and innovation capabilities, we are confident that together we can transform access to essential services and create lasting impact for our communities,” she said.
Dr. Ndyareeba said the partnership aligns with efforts by the government and the Bank of Uganda to expand access to financial services, particularly among underserved populations.
Prof. Ddumba said the real test of the partnership would be the difference it makes in people’s everyday lives.
“Partnerships are not proven at ceremonies like this one. They are proven months later, in bursars’ offices and trading centres, by people who will never read the document we sign today. That is the standard I am asking both teams to hold,” he said.
The partnership marks a new phase in the use of technology and collaboration to expand access to digital services and promote financial inclusion among individuals, families, institutions, and communities.