STATEMENT ON THE LAUNCH OF THE PILOT PHASE OF THE OKUSEVINGA MONEY MARKET UNIT TRUST SCHEME
Kampala, 17th December 2025 – The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and the Bank of Uganda (BoU) today announced the commencement of the pilot phase for the Okusevinga Money Market Unit Trust Scheme, a transformative initiative set to democratise access to secure and affordable investment opportunities for Ugandan citizens.
Marking a significant milestone, Okusevinga is celebrated as Africa’s first government-owned unit trust scheme. It represents a strategic evolution in national financial policy, shifting focus from broadening access to financial services towards enabling meaningful citizen participation in formal savings and investment.
This initiative builds upon Uganda’s remarkable progress in financial inclusion, where the FinScope Uganda 2023 Survey indicates that 81% of adults now have access to financial services, propelled significantly by the widespread adoption of mobile money. However, despite this access, a substantial portion of the population continues to save through informal channels. This practice limits the potential for household savings to generate returns and build long-term financial resilience.
The Okusevinga scheme is designed to bridge this critical gap. It will empower individuals to invest modest sums directly into regulated money market and bond funds via a user-friendly, mobile-based platform. This approach aims to channel household savings into the formal financial system, offering a safer alternative to informal methods.
The initial pilot phase will engage a select group of participants to thoroughly test the platform’s end-to-end functionality. This includes processes for registration, executing investment transactions, and checking balances. This controlled, phased rollout is a prudent measure to validate system performance, reinforce consumer safeguards, and refine the user experience ahead of a full-scale public launch planned for early 2026.
“The pilot phase underscores our commitment to a responsible and secure approach to financial innovation,” the initiative’s leads noted. “By ensuring the platform operates with utmost efficiency and in full regulatory compliance before public availability, we prioritise the trust and security of every Ugandan saver.”
Okusevinga is expected to deliver dual benefits: enhancing financial health and security at the household level by providing access to professionally managed, low-risk investment instruments, while simultaneously contributing to the development of deeper domestic capital markets and fostering sustainable economic growth.
The development and pilot of this landmark scheme have been supported by a consortium of key partners, including the Capital Markets Authority, Uganda Communications Commission, National Information Technology Authority, Financial Sector Deepening Uganda, Uganda Investment Authority, and Airtel Uganda.
As the pilot progresses, MoFPED and BoU will continue to engage with stakeholders, intensify financial literacy campaigns, and prepare for the next implementation phase. Further public communications will be issued in due course to detail the full launch and participation modalities for all Ugandans.
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For more information, contact:
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
Bank of Uganda
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