Stanbic Bank Uganda, in collaboration with the Uganda Bankers Association (UBA), on Monday convened a targeted engagement with online media personalities, digital editors, content creators, and social media influencers to strengthen national fraud-awareness efforts at a time when many Ugandans increasingly rely on online news.
Opening the session, Candy Wekesa Okoboi, Stanbic Bank’s head of legal, emphasised the sector’s responsibility to partner with credible digital voices as fraud schemes evolve.
“With more Ugandans, especially women, youth, and farmers, depending on online sources for financial information, strengthening public awareness through trusted digital creators is essential. Fraudsters thrive on misinformation. We must work together to ensure customers receive clear and accurate guidance,” she said.
She noted that online platforms have become central to consumer protection, particularly during the festive season and the heightened activity of the political campaign period, when fraud attempts tend to increase.
Sophia Nakazibwe, Stanbic’s head of fraud risk management, underscored the importance of proactive education. “Customer awareness remains our first line of defence. Fraud tactics are becoming more sophisticated, but well-informed customers are far less likely to fall victim. Engaging online media helps us meet people where they already are.”
Ronald Mugisha, a cyber risk specialist at the Uganda Bankers Association, highlighted the industry’s collective stance. “This is not a challenge that any bank can solve alone. The entire industry is collaborating to strengthen public resilience, and online creators are crucial partners because they shape how Uganda receives and interprets information today.”
Adding a media-development perspective, Flora Aduk from the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) welcomed the shift towards engaging digital communicators.
“Online influencers have become important intermediaries in public information. When they are empowered with accurate context and responsible reporting practices, their impact on public safety is significant,” she said.
Stanbic Bank’s country manager for corporate communications, Kenneth Agutamba, who also chairs the UBA committee on marketing and communication, reinforced the industry’s unified approach. “This engagement reflects our collective obligation to safeguard the financial ecosystem. All UBA member banks are collaborating to ensure consistent and credible messaging that counters fraud at scale. Digital creators play an indispensable role in that effort.”
Participants from the digital media community praised the initiative.
“Many times, organisations use influencers but do not train them. They do not give them adequate information on what they are going to do, why they should do it, and how they should deliver it. That is why a lot of information ends up being mixed with dance challenges that are fun but not informative. We thank Stanbic Bank for this initiative,” said Anderson Katongole, a content creator.
