KAMPALA, December 18, 2025 — The Finance ministry, in partnership with the Bank of Uganda [BoU], has launched the pilot phase of the Okusevinga Money Market Unit Trust Scheme, a new government-backed initiative aimed at broadening access to safe and affordable investment opportunities.
Launched yesterday at the Finance ministry’s headquarters in Kampala, Okusevinga is the first Government of Uganda-owned unit trust scheme in Africa and marks a shift in policy focus from simply expanding access to financial services to enabling meaningful participation in savings and investment.
This initiative builds on Uganda’s strong gains in financial inclusion, with 81 per cent of adults now able to access financial services, according to the FinScope Uganda 2023 Survey, largely due to the growth of mobile money.
Despite this progress, many Ugandans continue to save informally, limiting their ability to earn returns and build long-term financial resilience. The Okusevinga scheme seeks to address this challenge by allowing individuals to invest small amounts directly into regulated money market and bond funds through a simple, mobile-based platform.
The pilot phase will involve a limited group of users who will test the platform’s full functionality, including registration, investment transactions and balance enquiries.
Authorities say the controlled rollout will help validate system performance, enhance consumer protections and refine the user experience ahead of a planned public launch in early 2026.
Officials described the pilot as a cautious and phased approach to financial innovation, designed to ensure the platform operates efficiently, securely and in line with regulatory requirements before being made widely available.
By linking small savers to professionally managed, low-risk investment instruments, the scheme is expected to improve household financial health while supporting the development of deeper domestic capital markets and more sustainable economic growth.
The pilot is being implemented with support from a range of partners, including the Capital Markets Authority [CMA], Uganda Communications Commission [UCC], National Information Technology Authority [NITA], Financial Sector Deepening Uganda [FSD], Uganda Investment Authority[UIA] and Airtel Uganda.
As the pilot progresses, the Finance ministry and the BoU said they will continue to engage stakeholders, strengthen financial literacy initiatives and prepare for the next phase of implementation.
Further details on the full public launch and participation arrangements are expected to be announced in due course.
https://thecooperator.news/parliament-legislators-pension-scheme-to-reduce-investments-in-kenya/
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