From Savers to Investors: CMA Urges Ugandans to Unlock Wealth at Savings Week Expo

KAMPALA, November 6, 2026 — The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Uganda is driving public investment education at the Savings Week Expo currently underway at City Square. Running through November 7, 2026, the three-day exhibition urges Ugandans to transition from passive saving to active, regulated investing.

Bridging the Gap Between Saving and Investing:

Held in partnership with the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS), the expo aligns with global World Savings Day celebrations under the theme “Plan, Prepare, Prosper: AI Advises. Human Decides”.

• Direct Access: Visitors at the CMA exhibition tent can interact face-to-face with market regulators, open Central Securities Depository (CSD) accounts, and learn about government bonds, equities, and unit trusts.

• Mobile-First Onboarding: Through UIBFS partnerships, first-time investors gain digital access tools to enter capital markets without needing physical branch visits.

• 30-Year Milestone: The outreach forms a core pillar of CMA’s 30-Year Investor Campaign, which launched in October 2026 to celebrate three decades of market development.

Fueling Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy:

Speaking on the economic stakes, CMA Chief Executive Officer Josephine Okui Ossiya emphasized that passive cash reserves cannot fuel national expansion on their own:

"Reaching that target depends heavily on mobilising domestic savings and channelling them into productive investment. A population that saves but does not invest cannot supply the capital this agenda requires. This is where capital markets come in."

Under Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), the government targets scaling the national economy from US$50 billion to US$500 billion by 2040 via its Tenfold Growth Strategy.

Dickson Ssembuya, CMA Director of Research and Market Development, noted that the initiative targets grassroots citizens:

"We know that in Uganda we already have a culture of saving, but we now want to turn those people who are saving into investors. The objective of this campaign is to reach every Ugandan, including boda boda riders, teachers, farmers and many more."

Practical Steps at City Square:

Licensed market intermediaries are stationed at the City Square grounds to assist attendees with real-time portfolio entry:

• Opening Accounts: Set up your CSD account on-site.

• Market Products: Purchase stocks on the Uganda Securities Exchange, buy treasury bonds, or subscribe to collective investment schemes (unit trusts).