The organisers of the UK–Africa Investment Summit 2026 have formalised a strategic partnership with Pearl Bank Uganda Limited ahead of the 16th annual edition of the Summit.
The flagship commercial platform will convene on Friday, 11 September 2026, from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM at The Royal Horseguards Hotel and One Whitehall Place in London.
Operating under the central theme, “Trade Corridors and Industrial Platforms: From Access to Production,” UKAIS 2026 serves as a dedicated execution environment and working floor for UK–Africa capital mobilisation. The Summit is designed to convert project pipelines into deployed capital, cross-border industrial partnerships and bankable infrastructure developments. Uganda anchors this year’s forum as the designated Strategic Growth Partner.
High-Level Leadership Presentation on Production-Led Finance
As a cornerstone of this corporate partnership, the Summit will welcome back Mr Julius Kakeeto, Managing Director of Pearl Bank Uganda and Chairman of the Uganda Bankers Association, as a distinguished speaker.
Mr Kakeeto, a Fellow Chartered Accountant with an MBA from Manchester Business School and an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme, brings more than 20 years of local and international banking expertise. Under his leadership, the institution secured a Tier 1 commercial banking licence and completed its historic transformation from PostBank Uganda to Pearl Bank Uganda Limited in November 2025.
Mr Kakeeto recently steered the homegrown banking institution to a record profit of UGX 47.3 billion, positioning the bank for its next phase of institutional expansion. At UKAIS 2026, his presentation will deliver sovereign market insights on development banking, digital financial infrastructure and the mobilisation of private capital to support grassroots entrepreneurship, SME growth and agricultural value-chain finance.
His address directly supports the Summit thesis of moving capital from simple market access to large-scale production capability.
Strategic Benefits and Commercial Services for Delegates
The collaboration integrates Pearl Bank Uganda’s specialised banking ecosystem directly into the UKAIS trade and investment framework, offering international delegates, exporters and project sponsors clearer mechanisms for transaction execution and risk mitigation.
“Pearl Bank Uganda exemplifies the transition from financial access to industrial production.”
Willy Mutenza, Chairman and Founder of the UK–Africa Investment Summit, stated: “We are highly honoured to host Mr Julius Kakeeto once again at the Summit. Pearl Bank Uganda exemplifies the transition from financial access to industrial production. By connecting their robust trade finance and financial market capabilities with global investors in London, we are providing delegates with the practical, institutional mechanisms required to de-risk transactions and accelerate mid-market project execution across East Africa.”
Registration and Partnership Information
Summit Registration: Corporate executives, institutional investors and trade delegates can secure early registration for the London Summit at https://ukafricasummit2026.eventbrite.co.uk.
Speaker Profiles: To review the full presentation abstract and executive bio for Mr Julius Kakeeto, visit the official speaker portal at https://ukafricabusinesssummit.uk/speakers.
B2B Matchmaking and Deal Allocation: Project sponsors seeking project preparation support or investor matching via the investment facilitation arm can submit corporate profiles via the Business Matchmaking Form at https://ukafricabusinesssummit.uk/business-matchmaking-investment-interest-form.
Partnership and Sponsorship Enquiries: For corporate participation details, contact the partnerships department at bart.stern@africauksummit.uk.
About the UK–Africa Investment Summit
The UK–Africa Investment Summit is the premier action-oriented commercial platform in the United Kingdom dedicated to driving industrialisation, capital deployment and strategic trade corridor development.
Established in 2010, the platform brings sixteen editions of institutional continuity to the market, systematically narrowing the distance between investment intent and financial execution. The Summit brings together public and private sector leaders to advance bankable infrastructure, expand secure industrial supply chains and foster long-term economic integration between global financial hubs and high-growth African economies.
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