Equity Bank Uganda has recognised 80 customers for their loyalty, business growth and contribution to their communities as the lender marked Customer Service Week 2026 under the theme "Going the Extra Mile."

The customers were honoured during an appreciation breakfast at Protea Kampala on Thursday, with similar celebrations held across the bank's northern, eastern and western regions.

Those recognised included some of the bank's longest-serving active customers, repeat borrowers, top depositors and customers whose work has contributed to community development.

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The recognition highlighted how banking relationships can extend beyond savings and loans to support business expansion, improve livelihoods and help customers pursue wider development goals.

For some of the honourees, their experiences illustrate the role access to finance and sustained engagement with a bank can play in turning ambitions into tangible results.

From personal account to Shs1 billion contract

For Alfred Anyoti, managing director of Ana Investments Uganda Limited, the relationship with Equity Bank began in 2011 when he opened a personal account.

More than a decade later, the relationship has grown alongside his agricultural engineering business, supporting his ability to pursue larger commercial opportunities.

Anyoti said that when he needed capital to expand his business, his relationship manager, Hillary Andrews, advised him on strengthening his financial position.

With limited assets available as collateral at the time, Anyoti invested about Shs500 million in property development, which subsequently improved his ability to access financing.

He later secured a government contract worth about Shs1 billion, which he said he was able to execute with financing from Equity Bank.

Business opportunities often come with strict timelines, and having access to financing at the right time can make a significant difference," Anyoti said.

His experience illustrates how financial guidance and access to credit can help businesses build capacity and pursue contracts that might otherwise be difficult to execute.

From student banking to community development

Solomon Serwanjja's relationship with the bank began when he was a university student. Today, his organisation holds about five accounts with Equity Bank.

As chairman of Bamutakudde Village and chief executive officer of the African Institute for Investigative Journalism, Serwanjja is pursuing a five-year development plan focused on improving livelihoods in his community.

The plan includes expanding access to clean water, strengthening accountability and increasing household incomes.

Serwanjja said the community was pursuing plans to sink three boreholes after geological studies identified suitable locations.

He is also promoting a poultry initiative through which households would work together in egg production, branding and marketing.

The initiative aims to help participating households work towards earning at least Shs20,000 a day.

We want to work together to improve the communities in which we live," Serwanjja said.

His story reflects a broader approach to development in which individual and institutional growth is linked to efforts to improve the welfare of surrounding communities.

Equity Bank invests in customer experience

Speaking at the appreciation breakfast, Equity Bank Uganda Head of Customer Experience Jael Christine Wawulira said Customer Service Week provided an opportunity to recognise customers and reflect on how businesses can improve the experiences they deliver.

She said going the extra mile required organisations to listen to customers, respond with empathy and ensure that clients feel valued.

Equity Bank Uganda Executive Director Claver Serumaga said the experiences shared by customers demonstrated the impact of long-term relationships that often go unrecognised publicly.

However, he acknowledged that the bank had faced service delivery challenges, including system failures that had frustrated some customers.

Serumaga said the bank was investing in technology, systems and staff to improve service delivery.

The investments include a dedicated technology team, a data centre opened earlier this year, upgrades to internet and mobile banking platforms, and improved technology for Equity agents.

The bank is also reviewing its branch coverage and strengthening its contact centre to improve customer access to support.

Serumaga added that about 90 per cent of the bank's staff had received artificial intelligence certification, equipping them with skills to help customers explore how technology could improve their businesses.

The measures come as financial institutions increasingly rely on digital channels to serve customers while maintaining reliable support when problems arise.

Building relationships beyond banking

The recognition of the 80 customers brought together different experiences of banking, from personal savings and borrowing to business expansion and community development.

For Anyoti, access to financing helped him execute a government contract worth about Shs1 billion. For Serwanjja, a relationship that began with a student account has evolved alongside efforts to improve access to water and create income-generating opportunities in his community.

Their experiences formed part of Equity Bank Uganda's message during Customer Service Week: that customer service extends beyond processing transactions to building relationships that support customers' ambitions.

As the bank held appreciation events across its regions, the recognition also offered an opportunity to reflect on the expectations customers place on financial institutions, including reliable systems, accessible support and financial solutions that respond to their needs.

For the bank, the challenge will be to sustain those relationships by translating its investments in technology and customer support into consistently better service for customers across Uganda.