"We don't have funds"- Absa Bank Declines Funding Request for Busoga Royal Wedding.

Absa Bank Uganda has become the center of attention after declining to provide financial assistance to the Kyabazinga of Busoga for his upcoming royal wedding.

In a letter dated October 13, 2023, from Absa Bank’s marketing manager, Hellen Basuuta, the bank responded to the Kingdom’s request for financial aid and explained that they were unable to fund the Royal Wedding due to “earlier scheduled commitments in the period.”

The letter read, “We appreciate your request for Absa to attend and contribute towards the royal wedding scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Regrettably, we write to inform you that we are unable to support this request due to earlier scheduled commitments during the period.”

Absa Bank’s decision has drawn mixed reactions from the Busoga community. Some residents are calling for a boycott of the bank due to its failure to support the Kyabazinga’s royal wedding.

Gideon Byandala expressed that the King, through the organizing chairman, had only requested funding. He believed that Absa’s public response portrayed it as a demand and suggested that the bank should apologize to the King.

Journalist Gabriel Buule pointed out that Absa had no obligation to contribute to anyone’s wedding. However, he found it strange that the bank rejected an opportunity to attract potential clients from the Kingdom and the surrounding region. He stated, “Well, Absa Uganda or any other business has no obligation to contribute to anyone’s nuptial, but I find it strange when the PR and marketing department of a big business passes up an opportunity to tap into possible clients. The idea would be to negotiate a win-win deal in exchange.”

The Kyabazinga King Nadiope IV is set to marry Busoga’s Inebantu Queen, Jovia Mutesi, on November 18, 2023.