Uganda Development Bank (UDB), the country’s national development finance institution, has commissioned its new 14-storey head office, UDB Tower, on Plot 22, Hannington Road in Kampala.
The commissioning marks a major milestone in the bank’s institutional development and comes as UDB seeks to expand its role in financing investments aligned with Uganda’s economic transformation priorities.
The new purpose-built headquarters brings UDB’s head-office operations under one facility, with the bank saying the move is intended to improve operational efficiency, collaboration, innovation and service delivery.
The facility was commissioned by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Henry Musasizi.
Speaking at the event, Musasizi said strong national institutions were essential to Uganda’s efforts to mobilise long-term capital and direct financing towards productive sectors of the economy.
He said UDB has a key role to play in supporting investments in agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral-based industrialisation, and science, technology and innovation.
“Uganda’s next phase of economic transformation requires strong institutions with the capacity to mobilise long-term capital and channel it towards productive investments,” Musasizi said.
He added that strengthening UDB’s institutional capacity would enable the bank to support investments aimed at expanding Uganda’s productive base, creating jobs, increasing exports and improving household incomes.
Musasizi said the new headquarters should be viewed beyond its physical infrastructure, describing it as an investment in the institutional capacity required to support Uganda’s long-term development agenda.
UDB Board Chairman Geoffrey T. Kihuguru said the new headquarters reflects the bank’s long-term responsibility to support Uganda’s development financing needs.
He said UDB needs the institutional capacity, governance structures, human capital and infrastructure to mobilise capital, support productive enterprises and finance investments of national significance.
“Our responsibility is to build a development finance institution that is not only relevant to Uganda’s needs today, but one that has the capacity and resilience to serve generations to come,” Kihuguru said.
UDB Managing Director Patricia Ojangole said the commissioning marked an important phase in the bank’s institutional transformation and would provide a central platform for its operations, staff and partnerships.
She said the new facility would support collaboration and operational efficiency while providing an environment for the bank to strengthen its capacity to deliver development finance.
“As Uganda’s national Development Finance Institution, our mandate requires us to think and invest for the long term,” Ojangole said.
UDB said the new building incorporates several energy-efficiency and smart-building technologies. These include a Building Management System for monitoring and controlling key electrical and mechanical systems, as well as a 25-kilowatt solar-power system to supplement electricity from the national grid.
The building also features modern lighting controls, zoned air-conditioning systems, extensive glazing and openable windows intended to maximise natural lighting and ventilation.
According to the bank, the technologies are designed to improve energy management and reduce unnecessary consumption while supporting more sustainable operations.
Located on Hannington Road, UDB Tower has approximately 7,806 square metres of gross floor area across 14 floors, including two basement levels.
The facility includes office spaces, customer-service areas, meeting and training rooms, an innovation room, a boardroom and modern information and communications technology infrastructure. It also has integrated security and fire-safety systems.
An auditorium and resource centre are also planned as part of the facility and are expected to support UDB’s engagements in development finance and knowledge sharing.
The relocation from rented premises to a bank-owned headquarters is expected to reduce UDB’s reliance on leased office space and provide a permanent base for its expanding operations.
The commissioning comes as UDB continues to position itself as a key source of long-term financing for investments supporting Uganda’s economic and industrial development.
