Kintu Maryana

Diaspora Economics| Remittance| Trade | Investment & Policy | Data | Mother

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

The last line you should always stay at the back of our minds

[Samwise Gamgee @Sambannz]

1year ago, advocate Robert Kirunda said....

To all Ugandans, Good morning

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Sending money home to Uganda? There's a good chance you're losing more to fees than you realize.
You're probably paying way more than you should. Here's the real number:
The average cost to send remittances to Uganda sits at 8-11% per transaction which is well above the UN's Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%. For instance,On a $200 transfer which is close to the average amount sent,that's up to $22 gone before it even lands. Do that monthly and you're losing hundreds a year to fees alone.
Costs vary a lot by provider and corridor. Mobile money transfers (MTN, Airtel) tend to run cheaper than traditional cash pickup services like Western Union.
This isn't just a personal finance issue, it's a policy one. High transfer costs are effectively a tax on some of Uganda's most consistent foreign currency inflows.
Bottom line: the fee you're paying isn't fixed. It's just whatever you've always used. Worth five minutes comparing before your next transfer.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

And some financial products are easier to navigate with clear citizenship status.
If this applies to you and you haven't looked into it: it's worth the paperwork. I'll link the application process in a future post.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Did you know Ugandans abroad can legally hold two passports?
Here's how dual citizenship actually works and who qualifies.
Before 2009, Ugandans who took on another country's citizenship automatically lost their Ugandan citizenship.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Why it matters economically: dual citizenship removes a false choice. You don't have to pick between building a life abroad and staying legally, financially and politically connected to Uganda.
It also matters for investment from land ownership, business registration

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Of foreign currency, bigger than most single export categories.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Uganda's diaspora sent home $2.5 billion in 2025. And here's where it actually came from and it's not what most people assume.

United States $702 million (28% of the total)
The single largest source, driven by Ugandan professionals in healthcare, finance and education.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

This isn't a story about a few wealthy investors. It's a mass, small value phenomenon of millions of ordinary transfers adding up to something huge.
If you're one of these senders: you're not a side character in Uganda's economy. You're one of its largest and steadiest sources

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Turns out it was $1 billion more than anyone thought.
You can't design good policy on bad data. This is a real step forward

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Bank of Uganda just launched a new dashboard tracking remittances transaction by transaction instead of once a year surveys.
Do y'all know why this matters? For years, nobody actually knew how much money the diaspora was sending

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Building things on both sides. Please follow along

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

Ever wondered about the economics connecting Uganda's diaspora to Uganda itself. And I mean not general "Africa business" takes but Specific numbers, specific policy, specific opportunities for people abroad who still have skin in the game back home.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

— How remittances and diaspora investment actually work
— What Uganda's economic policy means for people abroad
— Where the real opportunities are and where the real risks are

No hype, no "10x your money" nonsense. Just the actual data, the actual policy and the actual people

[Johnson @MessiahTabu]

Another Thursday, another episode of Uganda Trivia.
Test your knowledge of Uganda here.
@NamazziNaymah
@faithkwizera4
@TweetsbyIman
@phantabae
@jermaine_egesa
@faizafabs
@oscarmoses19
@nasiimaroddy
@esau_matsiko

https://t.co/cZ2Ze8sfVI

[Silver Kayondo @SilverKayondo]

Can't waste time on a class action with Ugandans for anything. They will be paid off secretly and you'll be left in it all alone carrying the trash can. Once unprincipled, always unprincipled.

[Kintu Maryana @Ana_of_Eva]

@pauli_eja 😂😂