Mathias Katamba rumoured to be on his way to Centenary Bank as MD

Just over six months after replacing Juma Kisaame as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dfcu bank, sources say Mathias Katamba is now poised to join Centenary Bank as Managing Director, replacing Fabian Kasi.

Katamba officially joined Dfcu bank on January 2, 2019, following the departure of Kisaame whose leadership would see the bank involved in the scandalous acquisition of its rivals, Crane Bank Limited (GTBU) and Global Trust Bank Uganda (GTBU) in 2017 and 2014 respectively, after the Bank of Uganda BoU controversially closed and offered them for sale.

Katamba joined Dfcu bank from Housing Finance Bank but sources within Dfcu bank say he has not had a good working relationship with the top managers he found there. Among them is Chief of Business and Executive Director, William Sekabembe who had declined to join KCB Uganda as MD on anticipation that he would replace Kisaame. It is also said Katamba’s working relationship with Dfcu bank Chairman Jimmy Mugerwa is not good either.

In May this year, it was rumoured that Sekabembe was contemplating leaving Dfcu bank after he was denied chance to become its top chief executive as earlier promised by the Board of Directors.

While announcing the appointment of Katamba in January Dfcu Chairman Elly Karuhanga said then that: “We look forward to his (Katamba) taking the helm at Dfcu and believe he is well placed to continue the progress of the bank, building on the successes of his predecessor to the benefit of all stakeholders, contributing to the very important business sector in which Dfcu operates and to the growth of the Uganda economy as a whole.”

Katamba has 15 years’ experience in the Finance & Banking sector, 12 of which have been at C-Suite level. With vast expertise in Strategic Management & Investor relations, Retail Banking and strong business acumen, Mathias holds an M.Sc. in Financial Management from the University of London, has also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Education at Harvard University and the Advanced Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dfcu is also in the limelight and is being investigated by police for internal hacking which some sources allege was internal money laundering among the top executives.