KAMPALA — Former Stanbic Bank Uganda Chief Executive Anne Juuko has been appointed Director General of the East African Development Bank (EADB), according to sources familiar with the recruitment process, ending an extended search for a substantive head of the regional development lender.
CEO East Africa reported Monday that Juuko is expected to take up the position in the fourth quarter of 2026, most likely in October.
However, EADB had not formally announced the appointment by the time of publication. The bank’s official website continues to list Benard P. Mono as Acting Director General.
Juuko, who previously led Stanbic Bank Uganda and later served as Regional Head of East Africa for Global Markets at Standard Bank Group, declined to comment when contacted about the reported appointment.
“No comment,” she told CEO East Africa.
If formally confirmed, Juuko will succeed Vivienne Yeda, who retired as EADB Director General on December 31, 2024, after 17 years at the bank.
Following Yeda’s retirement, EADB appointed Mono, then the bank’s Head of Finance, as Acting Director General pending the conclusion of the recruitment process. The bank said at the time that further communication would be issued once the recruitment was completed.
The substantive position was subsequently advertised through a recruitment process handled by PwC Uganda, with applications closing in April 2025. According to CEO East Africa, the search continued beyond the period initially anticipated for the appointment.
Banking career
Juuko joined Standard Bank Group in 2012 as Head of Global Markets at Stanbic Bank Uganda before moving to Standard Bank Namibia, where she served as Head of Corporate and Investment Banking.
She returned to Uganda in 2020 as Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Uganda and became the first Ugandan woman to lead the bank, according to Standard Bank Group’s announcement of her subsequent regional appointment.
In March 2024, Standard Bank Group announced that Juuko would leave the Stanbic Uganda CEO position to become Regional Head of Global Markets for East Africa, effective April 1, 2024. The role covered seven countries, including Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
She subsequently left Standard Bank Group in November 2025, according to CEO East Africa.
EADB leadership transition
EADB is a regional development finance institution whose management is headed by the Director General, who serves as the bank’s legal representative and oversees its day-to-day operations under the direction of the Board.
The bank’s current board includes the finance permanent secretaries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, representatives of the private sector from the four member states, and a representative of the African Development Bank.
EADB reported strong financial performance for 2025, with profit before tax rising to US$16.93 million, from US$11.20 million the previous year. Lending disbursements increased by 140 percent, while outstanding loans grew by 52 percent.
The bank also announced a US$13 million fund for youth and women-led enterprises in May 2026 as part of its 2024–2028 strategic plan.
Juuko’s reported appointment would therefore place an experienced commercial and regional banking executive at the helm of an institution whose mandate includes financing development across East Africa.
EADB has not yet publicly confirmed the appointment.
