Absa Bank Uganda on Tuesday closed its branches in Kampala and Entebbe following a 14-day ban on movement of private cars across the country.
In a notice to customers, the bank said that its branches upcountry remains open. It said, "All Absa branches in Kampala and Entebbe will be closed today 31 March 2020..."
Harriet Kasirye, the Absa Uganda head of marketing and corporate affairs, said "We're in the process of finalizing logistics in line with the president's directive issued last night. The operations position for the rest of the lockdown period will follow shortly."
Absa is not the only bank that had its operations disturbed because of the president's directives. Many banks opened late than usual as staff struggled to find means to reach their workplaces. Centenary bank in a statement issued at 11 am told customers that "our branches may open late due to the current lockdown".
"We're working on travel schedules for our staff to serve you with ease," Centenary bank said.
President Yoweri Museveni directed on Monday night for a total lockdown of the country – including that private transport, restaurants, arcades, and malls shut down for 14 days in a bid to fight further spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Banks were identified as essential services, meaning they would stay open but have to find ways to reduce staff and manage their movement.
Last week, the Bank of Uganda granted commercial banks' request to operate from 9 am to 3 pm on weekdays and then close branches at the weekends. Pride Microfinance also announced closure of all their branches due to difficulty of their staff getting to work.
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