FAMReports News Desk | August 2026
The Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS), in partnership with the Uganda Bankers Association (UBA), has officially launched the 2026 Annual Bankers’ Sports Gala, bringing together employees from banks and financial institutions across Uganda under the theme “Together Towards Greatness.”
The launch took place at the UBA offices in Muyenga, Kampala, marking the beginning of a series of sporting activities that will culminate in the grand finale on September 20, 2026.
The annual event is designed to provide professionals in Uganda’s financial services industry with an opportunity to compete, network, strengthen professional relationships and promote employee wellbeing beyond the conventional workplace environment.
What You Need to Know
The 2026 Bankers’ Sports Gala brings together 28 participating institutions, including financial sector regulators and organisations operating within the wider financial services ecosystem.
Participants include the Bank of Uganda, Financial Intelligence Authority, Wazalendo SACCO, Forex Bureau and Money Remittances Association, and Sky Reinsurance Brokers Limited, alongside banks and other financial institutions.
The organisers say the Gala is not simply a sporting competition but a platform for building stronger relationships across an increasingly interconnected financial sector.
Sports as a Platform for Professional Growth
Speaking at the launch, UIBFS Board Chairperson Godfrey Ssebaana said sports provide important lessons that extend beyond the playing field and into professional life.
He highlighted teamwork, discipline, leadership, resilience, respect and fair play as values that are important both in sports and in the workplace.
According to Ssebaana, the Bankers’ Sports Gala gives professionals an opportunity to celebrate these values while strengthening relationships across Uganda’s financial industry.
The event therefore seeks to create an environment where employees from institutions that normally compete commercially can interact, build friendships and develop professional networks.
UIBFS: Gala Goes Beyond Competition
UIBFS Chief Executive Officer Goretti Masadde described the Gala as more than an annual sporting event, emphasising its contribution to employee wellbeing and cooperation across the financial services industry.
She noted that although competition is a defining feature of the banking industry, there are areas where institutions can achieve more by working together.
“The banking industry is highly competitive, but there are areas where we are stronger when we come together,” Masadde said.
She added that the Gala provides an opportunity for employees to compete on the field while simultaneously developing friendships, networks and stronger professional relationships.
Masadde also linked the initiative to the wider economic role of Uganda’s financial sector, noting that banks face the challenge of supporting the economy towards the 10 fold growth agenda.
Bank of Uganda Commends Industry Collaboration
Representing Bank of Uganda Governor Michael Atingi-Ego, the Executive Director of People, Culture and Administration at the central bank, Oscar Kiiza, commended UIBFS for sustaining the annual sporting tradition.
Kiiza said the Gala provides professionals with an important opportunity to network and strengthen collaboration across institutions.
He emphasised that employees are central to the growth of financial institutions and therefore need opportunities to interact and build relationships beyond their individual workplaces.
According to Kiiza, sports promote discipline, wellness, togetherness, networking, professionalism and respect for rules, describing these as values that are equally important in everyday life and professional environments.
28 Institutions to Participate
The 2026 edition has attracted 28 institutions, reflecting participation from different segments of Uganda’s financial services industry.
The inclusion of regulators and organisations outside conventional commercial banking demonstrates the organisers’ intention to make the Gala a broader financial sector engagement platform.
The participating organisations will take part in different sporting disciplines, giving employees opportunities to demonstrate their talents while competing in an environment centred on fair play and professional interaction.
Why the Gala Matters
The organisers say the initiative has several objectives beyond determining sporting winners.
The Gala is expected to promote:
• Employee health and wellbeing
• Teamwork and team spirit
• Professional networking
• Collaboration across financial institutions
• Employee engagement
• Healthy lifestyles
• Leadership and discipline
• Stronger relationships within Uganda’s financial services sector
For a sector that plays a central role in mobilising savings, financing businesses, supporting investment and facilitating economic activity, the organisers believe stronger professional relationships can contribute to a more collaborative industry.
A Stronger Financial Sector Through People
The 2026 Bankers’ Sports Gala comes at a time when Uganda’s financial sector is expected to play a significant role in supporting national economic transformation.
While financial institutions compete for customers, investments and market share, initiatives such as the Bankers’ Sports Gala provide an avenue for professionals to interact in a less formal environment.
The organisers believe investing in employee wellbeing and relationships can strengthen institutional performance and contribute to a more resilient financial services sector.
Under the theme “Together Towards Greatness,” this year’s Gala seeks to demonstrate that collaboration does not necessarily diminish competition. Instead, professionals can compete fairly while building relationships that benefit the wider industry.
Grand Finale Set for September 20
The launch officially opens the 2026 Bankers’ Sports Gala calendar, with sporting activities scheduled to continue ahead of the grand finale on September 20, 2026.
The organisers have called upon participating banks and financial institutions to register teams and encourage their employees to actively participate in the various sporting activities.
The focus, according to UIBFS and UBA, is to create an inclusive platform where financial sector professionals can exercise, compete, network and celebrate their shared contribution to Uganda’s economy.
About the Bankers’ Sports Gala
The Annual Bankers’ Sports Gala is an industry wide sporting initiative organised to bring together employees of banks and financial institutions in Uganda.
The Gala combines sporting competition with networking, teamwork, employee wellbeing and industry unity, creating an annual platform for professionals across the financial services sector to interact outside their normal workplace settings.
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