On Friday, 27th September 2024, Afri-Economist convened members of the Kampala Business Club at the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, for a focused engagement on the money market. The session featured Mr. Calvin David Bateme, the Team Lead – New Business at Crested Capital, as the guest speaker
The engagement formed part of Afri-Economist’s broader commitment to practical financial and investment education for young professionals, entrepreneurs, and students. It provided participants with a clear, practitioner-led walkthrough of how money markets function in Uganda and why they matter for both individual savers and the wider economy.
Who Is Calvin David Bateme?
Calvin David Bateme is a Research Analyst covering equities and fixed income at Crested Capital, one of Uganda’s established investment firms and a member of the Uganda Securities Exchange. He holds a Master’s degree in Banking and Investment and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Makerere University Business School. Since joining Crested Capital, he has been actively involved in investor education, capital market transactions (including major IPOs), and client engagement across equities and government securities.
His dual exposure to research and new-business development made him a strong fit for an audience seeking practical rather than purely theoretical insights.
What the Session Covered
The core theme of the evening was “The Money Market.” Discussions centred on the short-term segment of the financial system where governments, banks, and other institutions raise and invest funds for periods typically under one year.
Particular attention was given to Treasury Bills (TBs) — government securities that form a key pillar of Uganda’s money market. Participants gained clearer understanding of how TBs are issued, priced, and traded, as well as their role as relatively low-risk instruments for parking short-term liquidity and managing interest-rate exposure.
Beyond the instruments themselves, the conversation touched on the broader ecosystem: the relationship between the money market and the capital market, the role of primary dealers and brokers, and the practical steps ordinary investors or investment clubs can take to participate.
Why This Conversation Matters
Money markets are often treated as the preserve of banks and large institutions. In reality, they influence the cost of short-term borrowing, the returns available on safe instruments, and the overall liquidity conditions in the economy. For young professionals and emerging investors, understanding these markets is a foundational step toward more informed personal and business financial decisions.
Sessions such as this one help demystify concepts that frequently remain abstract in textbooks. By bringing a practitioner from a licensed brokerage into a university setting, Afri-Economist and the Kampala Business Club created space for questions, clarification, and immediate application of knowledge.
Participant Reflections
Basalirwa Jonathan, who currently serves as a Strategist at Afri-Economist and an attendee at the session, later described the engagement as impactful, noting in particular the practical insights gained on Treasury Bills. The interactive format and the speaker’s industry experience were highlighted as key strengths of the afternoon.
Looking ahead
The Kampala Business Club Engagements continue Afri-Economist’s effort to bridge classroom knowledge with market reality. Future sessions will keep prioritising topics that equip participants with actionable understanding of Uganda’s financial markets — from money-market instruments to longer-term investment opportunities.
We thank Mr. Calvin David Bateme and Crested Capital for sharing their expertise, and the members of the Kampala Business Club who turned up to learn and engage.
Afri-Economist Business Media remains committed to delivering clear, practical insights on business, economics, finance, and investment for East African audiences.