Head Office
Plot 1, Kololo Hill Drive,
Block A, Ground Floor,
P.O.Box 6109,
Kampala, Uganda
East Africa
SOLUTI is a leading, locally based wholesale finance company that provides sustainable, market responsive financial solutions and technical assistance to organizations in the Eastern Africa region. We enhance access to financial solutions to low income people to grow their businesses, create new jobs and improve their livelihoods.
SOLUTI started its operations in 1994 under Strømme Foundation Regional office. In a bid to specialise in Microfinance service delivery, Strømme Micro Finance East Africa Limited was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in 1998 and later in April 2004 as a company limited by shares. This company was owned by Strømme Microfinance AS in Norway, Strømme Foundation Regional Office in East Africa, Solidarité Internationale pour le Développement et I’Investissement (SIDI) in France and Catholic Organisation for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid) in Netherland.
In 2019, Stromme foundation and Cordaid sold their holding to SIDI and hence, SOLUTI is currently owned 99.98% by Solidarité Internationale pour le Développement et I’Investissement (SIDI) in France, and 0.02% by Mrs. Priscilla Mirembe Serukka a renowned Development worker In Uganda. She is also the current Board Chairperson.
SIDI is a social investor that was created in 1983 by CCFD-Terre Solidaire, the French major private donor to improve the living conditions of vulnerable and marginalized people in developing countries, through the creation and strengthening of individual and community-level income-generating activities. SIDI is active in 35 countries with a high commitment in Sub-Saharan Africa. With this acquisition, SOLUTI shall remain one of the leading wholesale lenders in East Africa.
The company as a local funder has supported over 50 partner institutions in its 25 years’ journey through its debt and capacity building interventions. Some of the institutions that have been supported and matured into regulated financial institutions and are now attractive to several local and international funders include: Pride Microfinance (MDI) Ltd, UGAFODE Microfinance (MDI) Ltd, Finance Trust Bank Ltd, Brac Bank Uganda Ltd , Opportunity Bank Ltd( all in Uganda) and Yetu Plc in Tanzania.
We believe in all people realizing their rights, respect and healthy self-esteem.
We strive for social rights of individuals and communities and access to resources and power.
We emphatically identify ourselves with the plight of marginalised and discriminated groups.
SOLUTI’s mode of operations is through intermediaries i.e established Microfinance Institutions (both regulated and unregulated MFI’s), Community Banks, Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) that can ably deliver financial and non-financial services to the enterprising poor.
SOLUTI uses a partnership model. The company provides credit facilities and capacity building/Technical Assistance to its target market to ensure increased outreach to the low income people in the East African region.
Social Performance defined as: “The effective translation of an institution’s social mission into practice in line with accepted social values such as serving larger numbers of poor and excluded people; improving the quality and appropriateness of financial services; creating benefits for clients; and improving social responsibility for which it was set up or established.”
SOLUTI as an impact investment entity seeks to achieve a balance on both its ‘’financial’’ and ‘’social’’ objectives; while addressing social and environmental challenges but also addressing some sustainable development goals.
The institution has a broad-based board of directors. The board functions as a full board and through various committees constituted to oversee specific operational areas. The board is constituted of Six committees comprising non-executive directors which meet on a quarterly basis.
These include the Executive Committee, Finance Sub Committee, Audit Sub Committee, SPM committee, Operations Committee and the extraordinary Sub Committee of Local Directors.