Overview:
Stanbic Bank Uganda has donated 35 solar street lights — valued at UGX100m — to Kabale University, tied to its 35th anniversary in the country. The bank says the lights will improve campus safety for students and staff
Stanbic Bank Uganda has handed 35 solar-powered street lights to Kabale University, in a donation the lender valued at about UGX100 million and linked to its 35th anniversary of operating in the country under the Standard Bank Group.
The bank said the lights, installed across the campus, were intended to improve safety, security and visibility for students and staff, particularly those attending evening lectures and late-night study sessions.
Speaking at the handover, Stanbic Bank Uganda Chief Executive Mumba Kalifungwa cast the donation as part of a wider strategy of investing in education and the communities the bank operates in.
“As we celebrate 35 years of operating in Uganda, we are reminded that our success is closely linked to the progress of the communities we serve,” Kalifungwa said. “While anniversaries allow us to reflect on milestones achieved, they also challenge us to ask how we can create even greater impact over the next 35 years. Our answer is simple: invest in people.”
He said the street lights would enhance safety for students, lecturers and visitors, and commended Kabale University for expanding access to higher education since it became a public institution in 2015.
Kalifungwa said the bank’s education spending also ran to the Stanbic National Schools Championship. He added that Stanbic was targeting UGX1 trillion by 2028 under an initiative it calls its Positive Impact Agenda, which he said was aimed at women, youth and farmers.
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Associate Professor Helen Musanabera Byamugisha thanked the bank and described the donation as a timely investment in campus safety.
“We are grateful to Stanbic Bank for this valuable contribution,” she said. “The solar-powered street lights will improve visibility and create a safer environment for students and staff. This partnership demonstrates the important role the private sector can play in supporting institutions of higher learning.”
She said she hoped the partnership would grow to include financial literacy, research and student support, and that the lights supported the university’s push towards renewable energy.
Kabale Resident District Commissioner Major (Rtd) Godfrey Katamba welcomed the donation, saying security underpinned a good learning environment. “A university is a home, a centre for research and a place where students should feel entirely safe,” he said, urging the university to maintain the lights.
Guild President Justus Drake Kyarikunda said the installation answered a long-standing student concern. “We appreciate Stanbic Bank for partnering with the university to improve safety and the overall student experience,” he said.
Established in 2002 by the people of Kigezi, Kabale University became a public university in 2015. It offers programmes in medicine, agriculture, engineering, computing, law, education and tourism, among other disciplines.