BoU shuts down Ugandan bank payment system for four days

Businesses, government agencies, and individuals who rely on bank transfers for urgent payments will need to make alternative arrangements after the Bank of Uganda announced a four-day suspension of two major payment systems to facilitate a planned upgrade.

The Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and Automated Clearing House (ACH) services will be unavailable from 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, until 9:00 a.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026.

The suspension will affect the processing of high-value and time-sensitive interbank transfers, as well as bulk electronic payments, cheque clearing and direct debits handled through the two systems.

In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the central bank said the upgrade is intended to strengthen the country’s payments infrastructure and support regional financial integration.

BoU said the exercise forms part of its efforts to improve the “efficiency, reliability, resilience and interoperability of Uganda’s national payments infrastructure in line with international standards. It added that the upgrade would support implementation of the East African Community (EAC) Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan, approved by Governors of the region’s central banks to facilitate “seamless, secure and efficient payment flows across EAC Partner States.”

The temporary closure means that banks and other financial institutions will not be able to process transactions through RTGS and ACH during the specified period. RTGS is primarily used for high-value and time-critical payments between financial institutions. Its suspension could delay large business transactions, interbank settlements, and urgent payments involving government agencies and corporate customers.

The ACH, on the other hand, handles bulk electronic fund transfers, cheque clearing and direct debit transactions. Its interruption could affect salary payments, supplier transfers, scheduled payments and other transactions that depend on batch processing through participating banks. For businesses, this could mean delays in settling suppliers, receiving payments from clients or meeting financial obligations that fall due during the closure.

Individuals who expect money through bank transfers or have scheduled payments may also experience delays, depending on the payment channel used. However, the notice does not indicate that all banking services will be suspended. Mobile banking, mobile money, card payments and cash services are not specifically listed among the affected systems.

The Bank of Uganda has advised financial institutions, government entities, businesses and individuals to make arrangements in advance and process time-sensitive payments before the closure begins. “Customers requiring guidance on transaction-specific arrangements, including available alternative payment channels, should contact their respective financial institutions,” the notice states.

The central bank said it would provide updates where necessary and issue another public notice once the upgraded services had been successfully restored.

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