As of mid-May 2022, Uganda Banking Association (UBA) had changed guards from Mathias Katamba, the Dfcu Bank managing director to Sarah Arapta, the Chief Executive (CEO) for Citibank Uganda, a position she was appointed to in January 2016. Katamba had served from 2020 to 2022 when he handed over.

Here is a bit about the businesswoman and savvy banker who is also the first woman elected into the chairperson position.

Arapta is very knowledgeable in investment and corporate banking where she has had an extensive and illustrious career of more than 20 years. 12 of these she has spent at Citibank which she joined as a managing director. She has also held several notable positions such as with Absa Bank (former Barclays Bank) which she joined in January 2014 as Director of Corporate and Investment Banking. She held fort for one-and-a-half years.

She also held the position of Head Corporate Banking as well as Head Investment Banking in Stanbic Bank Uganda, where she worked for nearly five years.

According to africanshapers.com, since taking over Citibank, Arapta has grown its asset worth from Shs951.1 billion to 1.409 trillion.

Arapta who holds an MBA from Herriot-Watt University Edinburgh Business School, Scotland and a BA in Economics from Makerere University, Kampala is also the first woman and first Ugandan to be appointed Chief Executive and Managing Director of Citibank in Uganda.

Before becoming the President of UBA, Arapta was the Vice Chairperson of the Association. Prior to that, she had been the Chief auditor of the same. Her chairperson tenure will go on until May 2024.

The Association brings together all licensed commercial banks supervised by the Bank of Uganda (BoU). It was established in 1981 and currently has a membership of 35 banks which include Uganda Development Bank and East African Development Bank

The ardent jogger and swimmer is also an advocate of women’s empowerment and is passionate about delivering with impact.