MTN MoMo secured a resounding victory at the Digital Impact Awards Africa (DIAA2025) held in Kampala on Friday evening, bringing home four prestigious accolades, including Digital Brand of the Year and Financial Services Digital Excellence.
The most personalised recognition, however, went to Richard Yego, the Chief Executive of MTN Mobile Money Uganda, who was named CEO of the Year (DFS), cementing his status as a key champion of financial and digital inclusion in Uganda.
These awards are a direct affirmation of the trust and loyalty shown by millions of customers who choose MoMo daily, underscoring the profound impact the platform is having on Uganda’s socio-economic landscape under Yego’s leadership.
Richard Yego as the Architect of Inclusion
Yego’s win as CEO of the Year (DFS) is a recognition of his strategic vision, which has positioned MTN MoMo as the most dominant and influential mobile money platform in the country.
His tenure has been marked by a clear focus on transforming the mobile phone into the most accessible financial tool for every Ugandan, particularly those in the rural and informal sectors. His approach to inclusion includes:
Deep Sector Experience
Before his role at MTN MoMo, Yego served as the CEO of the Agent Banking Company of Uganda, where he was crucial in implementing an interoperable shared agent banking network. This experience provided him with a unique understanding of the “last mile” challenge of financial access, which he has successfully translated into MoMo’s strategy.
Driving Cashless Adoption
Yego has spearheaded strategic partnerships, such as the one with the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), to make the Uganda International Trade Fair a fully cashless event. Such initiatives provide real-world use cases for digital payments, tackling barriers of accessibility and affordability for thousands of traders and consumers.
Democratising Investment
Under his leadership, MTN MoMo introduced innovations like Yinvesta, a platform designed to make saving and investing accessible to everyone, with customers able to invest as little as Shs500. This actively fosters a culture of long-term wealth creation among the youth and the informal sector.
MoMo’s Digital Excellence and Impact on the Ground
MTN MoMo’s victories, including Digital Brand of the Year and Financial Services Digital Excellence, are not just about market share; they reflect the platform’s role in advancing national development goals through:
Empowering the Underserved
MoMo serves as the first and often only access point to formal financial services for millions of Ugandans, enabling them to save, borrow, receive remittances, and pay for essential services with ease and safety.
Securing the Ecosystem
Recognising the need to protect vulnerable users, MoMo, under Yego’s guidance, has taken an aggressive stance against fraud, investing in smarter technologies and data-driven solutions to secure the digital accounts of millions who rely on the platform.
Fostering Local Innovation
By opening its platform through the MoMo Open API, the company encourages local fintechs to innovate and build customer-centric solutions, leveraging MoMo’s vast user base and infrastructure to accelerate digital transformation.
The recognition received at the DIAA2025 is a testament to the belief held by the MTN MoMo team, partners, and customers that digital and financial services should be universally accessible.
Yego’s leadership thus exemplifies how visionary management can turn a technological platform into a powerful catalyst for inclusive economic growth in Uganda.