Ecobank Uganda have announced that they collected only Shs27m from their countrywide campaign that was meant to bring Shs.6bn when they participated at the 2017 Total Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
The campaign dubbed ‘Afcon ‘Tulumbe Gabon Nalo Nakajja’, was an initiative to help the Cranes get funding as finances were hard to realise with just two months to the biannual tournament.
Fans would contribute through direct deposits and mobile money but according to Annette Kihuguru, the bank’s Executive Director, the timing led to the flop.
“We learnt that there was little time to effectively activate the campaign yet December is a crucial spending time for Christmas bonanza and school fees in January,” she said accounting to the lukewarm response.
was both thrilled and dumbfounded.
Only 926 people responded to the call of which seven were companies. Shs.4.5m was raised through mobile money platforms, Shs.22.9m through direct banking while Shs.336,000 was through activations. The biggest individual contributions came from local artiste and now Member of Parliament Ssentamu Kyagulanyi a.k.a Bibi Wine and city lawyer Fred Muwema, who contributed Shs.5m each.
“We’re not very happy with the results but we’re happy Ugandans stood for the Uganda Cranes,” she added.
FUFA’s Executive Committee member Rogers Byamukama also hailed the spirit of those that contributed.
“We take the credit jointly and the shortcomings jointly but I am certain that when we call upon Ugandans for the next activity, they will once again respond positively,” Byamukama, said.
Ecobank sponsors the Uganda Cranes to a tune of Shs150m.
