Housing Finance Bank (HFB) engaged customers and stakeholders in Hoima in a customer engagement forum aimed at listening to customer experiences, understanding their evolving financial needs and identifying opportunities to improve the Bank’s products and services.
The engagement brought together HFB leadership, the Hoima Branch team, customers and key stakeholders, with the Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kingdom, Omuhikirwa Andrew Byakutaga, serving as Guest of Honour.
Speaking at the engagement, Ivan Kituka, Head of Distribution and Alternative Channels at Housing Finance Bank, highlighted the Bank’s journey in Hoima since opening its branch in 2023, noting that the Bank’s growth has been significantly shaped by customer feedback.
He explained that HFB initially entered the market with a strong focus on SMEs, but customers subsequently highlighted the need for financing solutions for micro businesses and customers undertaking incremental construction. In response, the Bank expanded its offering to include a dedicated Micro Banking section, providing financing from UGX 200,000 to UGX 50 million to cater for a wider range of customers.
Kituka described customer feedback as “a gift”, encouraging customers to be candid about both their positive experiences and areas where the Bank needs to improve.
He further emphasised HFB’s commitment to strengthening its presence within the community through increased outreach and local capacity. He noted that the Bank has deliberately invested in local talent and expanded its Micro Banking team to take financial services closer to customers.
Kituka also encouraged customers and local businesses to consider becoming HFB Agents, creating additional income opportunities while bringing banking services closer to communities and helping reduce congestion at the branch.
The Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kingdom, Omuhikirwa Andrew Byakutaga, welcomed HFB’s engagement with the community and highlighted the rapid growth taking place across Bunyoro and Hoima.
He noted the region’s increasing opportunities in agriculture, coffee production, housing and enterprise, supported by the area’s fertile soils and growing economic activity. He called for greater access to land titles and affordable financing, particularly for communities seeking to participate in the region’s development.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the significant housing opportunity in Bunyoro, noting the low proportion of residents living in permanent houses, and encouraged greater access to housing solutions such as Zimba Mpola Mpola.
He urged residents to embrace the structured economy and commended Housing Finance Bank for creating employment opportunities for the local community. He also called on the Bank to extend its services further into the farming community and provide affordable financing to enable farmers to take advantage of the region’s economic opportunities.
The customer engagement provided an open platform for customers to share their experiences and recommendations
Customers were encouraged to embrace HFB’s digital channels, including USSD banking through *225#, allowing customers without smartphones to conduct banking transactions without necessarily visiting a branch.
Agricultural financing was another key area of discussion. HFB highlighted financing options available to farmers, including the large-scale farmer facility at zero interest, subject to applicable requirements, as well as the Agricultural Credit Facility at a subsidised rate of 12%.
The customer experience component of the engagement was supported by Carolyne Agudo, Head Customer Experience, who emphasised the importance of capturing, tracking and resolving customer concerns through the Bank’s established service channels.
Customers were reminded that HFB’s toll-free customer service channel is available to receive and track complaints and feedback, with unresolved matters escalated through the Bank’s service structures.
The engagement also featured customer testimonial from Mr. Embati Williams, Proprietor, who shared how HFB financing helped accelerate his construction project.
Williams explained that after engaging with the HFB team, he opened an account, provided bank statements from his existing commercial bank accounts and completed the loan application process. He said that within less than a month, the facility was approved and disbursed, enabling him to complete a project he had initially planned to undertake over eight years in less than three years.
The feedback session concluded with HFB committing to review and respond to the issues raised by customers.
As Hoima and the wider Bunyoro region continue to experience significant economic transformation, Housing Finance Bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting customers through housing finance, micro and SME financing, agricultural financing, savings, digital banking, asset financing and other financial solutions.
The engagement reinforced HFB’s commitment to working alongside the people and businesses of Hoima to turn the region’s growing opportunities into sustainable economic progress.
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About Housing Finance Bank Ltd
Housing Finance Bank is one of the 10 largest banks in Uganda with a purpose to finance a sustainable future for all through offering convenient, affordable, and relevant solutions for 58 years.
First incorporated as a private limited company in 1967 as Housing Finance Company Uganda Limited, carrying out business as a non-banking credit institution providing mortgage finance and accepting savings deposits from the public, the bank became licensed and regulated by Bank of Uganda as a Commercial Bank in 2007, to carry on the business of banking under the Financial Institutions Act and changed into a public limited liability company known as Housing Finance Bank Limited. Housing Finance Bank’s vision is to be the preferred business and consumer bank with a focus on Housing finance.
The Bank boasts of 18 branches spread out across Uganda. Find out more details about Housing Finance Bank at www.housingfinance.co.ug
