Centenary Bank in partnership with Airtel Money and gnuGrid have launched a new digital loan product, Kwaata Sente aimed at giving eligible customers access to short-term credit through their mobile phones, without visiting a bank branch, holding a bank account or having the internet.
Under this partnership, Centenary Bank provides the financing; Airtel Uganda, through its mobile money platform facilitates loan applications, disbursements and repayments, while gnuGrid supports customer profiling to inform credit assessment.
According to Bank of Uganda, digital loan disbursements reached approximately UGX 4.8 trillion across 306.3 million transactions in the 12 months to December 2025. The value of these disbursements increased by 96.1% compared with the previous year. These figures show the growing role of digital channels in access to credit.
While launching the product at Centenary Bank headquarters in Kampala, the Managing Director of Centenary Bank, Godfrey Byekwaso, said this solution supports the bank’s commitment to making banking more convenient through SMART banking. It builds on the bank’s existing digital channels, including GonzaPay, CenteMobile, Internet Banking and Agent Banking giving customers more ways to access financial services.
“As Centenary Bank, we believe that this partnership shall open up doors to more people out there who wish to get quick, instant loans to solve quick challenges,” he said.
Byekwaso added that as they roll out Kwaata Sente, emphasis will be placed on customer experience, transparency and responsible lending. Customers should understand the applicable charges, repayment dates and consequences of late repayment before accepting a loan.
“I encourage customers to borrow for genuine need and take only what they can repay within the agreed period. Timely repayment helps build a positive repayment record that may inform future credit assessments,” he said.
Airtel Money Managing Director, Japhet Aritho said Kwaata Sente addresses a real market need by providing eligible Airtel Money customers with convenient access to short-term credit without the need to visit the bank branch or complete a physical paper. “With loans ranging from UGX 10,000 and more, subject to approved limits, customers can access funds directly through their mobile wallet. For a small business owner managing a cash flow or a trader replenishing stock, timely access to credit can make a meaningful difference.”
David Opio Obwangamoi, the CEO of gnuGrid, said the product was put into the pilot phase almost a year ago where they have been doing testing, witnessing the customer experience and how it could stand the test of time when it is launched.
“To me financial inclusion in a practical way is about partnerships, innovations and going beyond the conventional way of doing things and figuring out means to reach the unbanked, and Kwaata Sente in a practical way is going to do exactly that. So, I can’t wait to see all Ugandans being able to access affordable credit from Kwaata Sente anywhere, anytime, and meet those financial needs on a daily basis,” Obwangamoi said.
Eligible Airtel customers can access Kwaata Sente by simply dialing *185*8*5# and borrow up to UGX 500,000 directly through Airtel Money.
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