Airtel Uganda has paid a dividend of UGX 42.6 billion to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), its largest Ugandan institutional shareholder.
The telecommunications company handed over a cheque worth UGX 42,609,880,000 to the Fund in Kampala on 30 September 2026. The payment represents returns on the Fund’s 10.6 per cent stake in the company.
The payout comes days after NSSF declared an interest rate of 22.53 per cent for the 2025/26 financial year, which the Fund says is the highest in its history. The Fund says UGX 5.44 trillion will be credited to members’ accounts.
Soumendra Sahu, Airtel Uganda’s managing director and chief executive officer, congratulated NSSF on the declaration. He said the dividend showed the value that can be created when Ugandans’ long-term savings are invested in productive businesses.
“The NSSF demonstrated confidence in the fundamentals of our business. We remain committed to delivering value to our shareholders. We have done this through growing the network footprint, improved operational efficiencies and better service to our customers, the reason we exist,” Sahu said.
Earlier this month, Airtel Uganda launched satellite-to-mobile connectivity through a partnership with Starlink. The service extends SMS and light-data services to compatible smartphones in areas outside the reach of conventional mobile networks. The company says it is the first telecommunications firm in Uganda to launch such a service commercially.
“Growth should give us the capacity to take opportunity further, including to communities and places that have traditionally been difficult to reach. Whether through expanding our terrestrial network or introducing satellite-to-mobile technology, we want the value we create as a business to reach further across Uganda,” Sahu said.
NSSF managing director Patrick Ayota said the dividend underlined the importance of investing members’ savings in businesses capable of delivering long-term value.
“We commend Mr Sahu and the management of Airtel Uganda in creating shareholder value while also focusing on the long-term growth of the company. So we are long-term shareholders with you,” Ayota said.
He said the Fund’s investment in Airtel Uganda had been made on behalf of its members.
“We hold a fund on behalf of our 2.6 million members with balances, so the investment we made in Airtel, buying 4.21 billion shares for roughly UGX 199 billion, was on their behalf. Thanks to the volume discount, our effective purchase price was UGX 47.17 per share. By the end of June 2026, that share value grew to UGX 152, a growth of over 300%. When people wonder where our record 22.53% interest rate came from, part of it came from Airtel,” Ayota said.
Airtel Uganda said it would continue investing in network expansion, technology and partnerships to support Uganda’s digital and economic growth.
Airtel Uganda is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa, which provides telecommunications and mobile money services in 14 African countries.