Recognising that the battle against financial fraud is now fought in the digital space, Stanbic Bank Uganda, in collaboration with the Uganda Bankers Association (UBA), has launched a strategic initiative engaging online media personalities, digital editors, and social-media influencers in this battle.
The high-level engagement, held on Monday in Kampala, aims to dramatically amplify national fraud-awareness efforts by leveraging the credibility and reach of trusted digital voices.
The move acknowledges the evolving media landscape where Ugandans increasingly consume news and financial information online, making digital creators indispensable partners in the financial sector’s defense strategy.
Urgent Need for Digital Partnership
The impetus for this collaborative approach is two-fold: the shift in consumer habits and the predictable spikes in criminal activity during sensitive periods.
Candy Wekesa Okoboi, Stanbic Bank’s Head of Legal, emphasised the banking sector’s duty to partner with credible digital voices, saying, “With more Ugandans, especially women, youth and farmers (WYF), depending on online sources for financial information, strengthening public awareness through trusted digital creators is essential. Fraudsters thrive on misinformation. We must work together to ensure customers receive clear, accurate guidance.”
She added that online platforms become central to consumer protection, especially during the festive season and the heightened activity of the political campaign period, when fraud attempts typically spike. This proactive engagement, according to Wekesa, is crucial for mitigating risks during times of high transaction volume and heightened public discourse.
Customer Awareness as First Line of Defense
Experts stressed that technology alone cannot solve the fraud problem, and because of this, customer knowledge is also paramount.
Sophia Nakazibwe, Stanbic’s Head of Fraud Risk Management, underscored the importance of proactive education, noting that “Customer awareness remains our first line of defence. Fraud tactics are becoming more sophisticated, but well-informed customers are far less likely to fall victim. Engaging online media helps us meet people where they already are.”
Ronald Mugisha, a cyber-risk specialist at the Uganda Bankers Association, highlighted the necessity of industry-wide collaboration.
“This is not a challenge that any bank can solve alone. The entire industry is collaborating to strengthen public resilience, and online creators are crucial partners because they shape how Uganda receives and interprets information today,” Mugisha said.
Empowering Digital Communicators
The initiative was lauded by media development experts and the creators themselves. Flora Aduku from the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) welcomed the engagement, noting, “Online influencers have become important intermediaries in public information. When they are empowered with accurate context and responsible reporting practices, their impact on public safety is significant.”
Kenneth Agutamba, Stanbic Bank’s Country Manager for Corporate Communications and Chair of the UBA Committee on Marketing and Communication, reinforced the unified stance, stating: “This engagement reflects our collective obligation to safeguard the financial ecosystem. All UBA member banks are collaborating to ensure consistent, credible messaging that counters fraud at scale, and digital creators play an indispensable role in that effort.”
A content creator participating in the event observed that the direct engagement signifies the banks’ understanding of today’s media, stressing that, “Fraud awareness needs to be communicated in formats people actually consume short, clear, digital-first content.”
Digital Content Creators Summit
It is important to note that this engagement, one of many lined up by the bank, precedes the Stanbic Ongea Digital Creators summit slated to be held on December 11, 2025, at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The summit is a high-impact strategic intervention designed to convert digital creativity into sustainable careers and formal employment.
This initiative is directly aligned with the bank’s core mission to grow Uganda’s economy and execute its Women, Youth, and Farmers (WYF) Agenda.
By focusing on the digital space, the bank aims to fuel socio-economic transformation among Uganda’s vast youth population, establishing digital skills as a viable path to wealth creation.
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This partnership, according to Agutamba, is part of broader, ongoing efforts by the banking sector to advance public financial safety, promote responsible online reporting, and strengthen collaborative approaches across Uganda’s increasingly digital information landscape.