In 2021, Absa Uganda froze both my personal and organizational accounts without any prior communication. No one reached out to explain what was happening. It felt like arrogance, like we didn’t matter enough to deserve even a basic explanation.
Their compliance officer showed no interest in resolving the issue and kept hiding behind laws that didn’t even seem to exist. At that point, I decided not to waste any more of my time or energy. I walked away.
We went ahead and closed multiple accounts, those belonging to my law firm, two companies, and an NGO I supported, all of them with Absa.
I kept only the frozen personal accounts, but from that moment on, I made it a point to advise clients against banking with them.
Whenever anyone asked for banking recommendations, I directed them elsewhere. Over time, this quiet stance has denied them business, and I have no regrets about it. If a bank behaves as if it is too big for its customers, then we, as customers, also have the right to keep our distance.
A year later, the bank quietly lifted the freeze on my personal accounts and then started calling me, asking why I was no longer depositing money. I told them plainly that they could restrict the accounts as much as they liked, since that seemed to be what they wanted in the first place.
But even that didn’t stop them. Five years on, they are still calling and sending emails, asking me to reactivate accounts I have no interest in using. The most recent call came in February this year.
What confuses me is this. If they were so comfortable freezing my accounts without explanation, why can’t they just leave them that way and let me have my peace? Instead, during that February call, they asked me to physically go to the bank and close the accounts.
Imagine that. A bank that disrespected me as a customer now expects me to spend my time and fuel cleaning up a situation they created.
Honestly, one of these days, when I wake up in the right mood, I might take legal action against them for the constant disturbance, the endless calls and emails pushing me to fund accounts they once froze without hesitation. In the meantime, I’ve taken a different approach.
As the head of a network of over 700 NGOs, I advise our members not to waste time with banks that act unreasonably. When a bank crosses the line, we quietly steer people away from it. That is how we protect our peace and send a message.
We have placed institutions like Absa and Diamond Trust Bank Uganda on a silent blacklist, encouraging our members and clients to bank elsewhere. It is a deliberate move, one we intend to expand, until banks and their associations understand that customers are not at their mercy. They are custodians of our money, not owners of it.
For NGOs that have the option, especially foreign ones, we now advise opening and operating accounts outside Uganda, in their countries of origin or operation.
They can simply make payments into Uganda when necessary. In many cases, this has proven far more reliable than dealing with local banks that behave as if they are in charge of your finances.
Looking back, I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed keeping my distance from Absa. There is a certain peace that comes with it.
My clients are better off managing their finances elsewhere, and I no longer have to deal with the frustration. Maybe one day, Ugandan banks will wake up and realize who truly matters in the relationship between a bank and its customers.
The author is a lawyer and civil society activist.
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