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Interest rates

Street scene outside a luggage shop in downtown Kampala
Uganda Shilling

Shilling closes at record low a week after rate rise

Uganda’s shilling closed at Shs4,208.10 to the dollar, a record low, one week after the central bank raised its benchmark rate
A stack of Ugandan shilling banknotes—50,000, 20,000, 10,000, and 5,000—arranged in a currency counting machine.
Exchange rates

Shilling surrenders rate-hike gains as the dollar returns

Uganda’s shilling erased Wednesday’s gains by Friday, with the dollar back above its opening level on the day of the Bank of Uganda’s rate increase
An illustration for property, mortgages, bank loans and home savings. A model of a house sitting on architectural plans, with a blurred piggy bank in the background.
Explainer

What the Bank of Uganda’s rise to 12 per cent means for the shilling, fuel and loans

How the Bank of Uganda's increase in its policy rate to 12 per cent could affect the shilling, pump prices, and existing loans and savings
The Bank of Uganda's headquarters in Kampala

Bank of Uganda raises benchmark rate to 12 per cent at special meeting

Uganda’s central bank lifted its rate to 12 per cent, the largest increase since 2011, and raised its inflation forecasts as the shilling weakened
Single-storey building with a red roof and signs for Centenary Bank's CenteAgent and dfcu Agent, plus Airtel Money and other agent notices by the door.
Bank lending

Bank lending grows at its fastest rate since 2015

Bank lending in Uganda grew at its fastest annual rate since 2015 in August, led by foreign-currency loans, according to Bank of Uganda data
A stack of Ugandan shilling banknotes—50,000, 20,000, 10,000, and 5,000—arranged in a currency counting machine.
Sovereign debt

Foreign buying of Ugandan government debt fades after a record 2025

Non-residents hold $2.7bn of Ugandan government debt after buying $2.2bn in 2025, but quarterly purchases fell to $25.5mn in April to June
The crest of the Bank of Uganda on its premises
Foreign exchange

Shilling breaches Shs4,000 with reserves nearly double their 2024 level

Uganda's reserves are 86.6 per cent above their February 2024 level, yet the central bank says it plans no dollar sales as the shilling weakens

More Interest rates

21 September 2026

Bank of Uganda

Bank of Uganda tightens liquidity as shilling falls to weakest since 2024

The Bank of Uganda says it can stabilise the shilling, and has raised banks' cash reserve requirement to 13.5 per cent for the second time this year

A stack of Ugandan shilling banknotes—50,000, 20,000, 10,000, and 5,000—arranged in a currency counting machine.
15 May 2026

Monetary policy

Bank of Uganda’s Monetary Policy Statement for May 2026 — Full text

Monetary Policy Committee keeps rates on hold for a seventh consecutive meeting but raises its inflation outlook as fuel costs begin feeding through

The oil and chemical tanker Petrel Pacific moored at a terminal during twilight, discharging ballast water.
26 April 2026

Sovereign bonds

February’s bond rally fades as 10-year yield jumps 100 basis points

Uganda's 10-year bond yield rose a full percentage point in two months, partially reversing February's contraction even as investor demand hit exceptional levels

The Bank of Uganda's headquarters in Kampala
8 April 2026

Foreign exchange

Uganda shilling weakens sharply as oil prices and global risk sentiment shift

Rising oil prices and shifting investor sentiment drive Uganda shilling to weakest level since mid-2024

A stack of Ugandan shilling banknotes—50,000, 20,000, 10,000, and 5,000—arranged in a currency counting machine.
24 March 2026

Banking Sector

Stanbic trading desk powers record profit

Stanbic Uganda Holdings posted its strongest profit growth in three years in 2025, led by a surge in trading income and compressed interest margins

Standard Bank Group's headquarters in Johannesburg
23 February 2026

Uganda bonds draw strong demand as yields fall to near two-year lows

Investors accepted sub-coupon rates across all three tenors at February's auction, signalling a marked shift in sentiment towards Ugandan sovereign debt

A stack of Ugandan shilling banknotes—50,000, 20,000, 10,000, and 5,000—arranged in a currency counting machine.
10 February 2026

Bank of Uganda’s Monetary Policy Statement for February 2026: the full text

The Bank of Uganda maintains its 9.75% rate, balancing subdued inflation against global uncertainty and a positive output gap

Michael Atingi-Ego, Bank of Uganda deputy governor, at a meeting at the bank's Kampala headquarters, February 2024.
9 February 2026

Bank of Uganda keeps rates on hold as inflation stays tame and growth holds firm

The Bank of Uganda maintains its 9.75% rate, balancing subdued inflation against global uncertainty and a positive output gap

The sun sets behind the unisphere during day five of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
11 November 2025

Monetary Policy Statement

Bank of Uganda’s Monetary Policy Statement for November 2025: the full text

The central bank's decision reflects its confidence in the improving domestic economic environment, while also acknowledging the ongoing risks posed by the global economy

Bank of Uganda's headquarters in Kampala