USD 50 million bridging loan by Arise set to grow the banking sector in Uganda

An approval in principle of a USD 50 million bridging loan by Arise, a newly established investment company is set to boost the banking sector in Uganda.

According to Arise Chief Executive Officer, Deepak Malik the company will provide a USD 50 million bridging finance facility to dfcu Ltd in Uganda. “The facility was availed on commercially-agreed terms, to enable commencement of the recapitalisation of dfcu Bank in the short term, while complying with regulatory capital thresholds” he said.

Juma Kisaame, Managing Director dfcu Bank commented, “The acquisition gives us the impetus to achieve our strategic objective of building a robust retail operation with multiple delivery channels whilst consolidating our position as a key player in the SME market segment. It also supports our goal of promoting financial inclusion in Uganda and we welcome the Arise partnership as a contributor to building a stronger financial sector in Sub Saharan Africa”.

“Arise supports the planned expansion of dfcu Bank. We foresee the integration as a catalyst for creating a strong and efficient Ugandan bank, which will have extensive local representation and scalability of distribution (via branch and digital channels)” said Malik.

“This partnership speaks directly to the mandate of Arise, which is to collaborate with local Financial Service Providers (FSPs) in Sub Saharan Africa to boost economic growth through strengthening the banking sector”, he added. Arise is committed to developing inclusive financial systems in Africa and partners with sustainable FSPs to strengthen their ability to supply capital and financial services to SMEs, the rural sector and unbanked people.

“Arise is supportive of dfcu Bank’s growth ambitions, which will enable the organisation to improve its market position and efficiencies. In addition, we believe that this transaction is a catalyst for improved returns to all stakeholders”, concluded Malik.