Pearl Bank emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 10th Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU) Excellence Awards, taking home the inaugural PR Crown Jewel Award alongside four other accolades for its corporate rebranding, media relations, staff engagement and social impact work.
The awards ceremony was held at Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja on Friday, October 23, 2026, as PRAU marked 50 years of public relations practice in Uganda.
The PR Crown Jewel Award is a judges’ choice distinction introduced during the association’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. It is the second-highest honour after the Lifetime Achievement Award and recognises outstanding work assessed across the awards entries.
Pearl Bank, formerly PostBank Uganda, became the first recipient in recognition of its rebranding journey and the evidence-based communication strategy used to guide customers and other stakeholders through the transition.
The award was presented by Owek. Alhaji Osman Noor Ahmed, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga, who commended the winners and participants for championing public relations excellence.
He also congratulated PRAU on its 50th anniversary, highlighting the role of strategic communication in influencing policy, shaping narratives, preserving culture and supporting socioeconomic development.
Beyond the top honour, Pearl Bank won Gold awards in Media Relations, Corporate Storytellers and Impact Beyond Profit, alongside a Silver award in the Culture Champions category.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was not presented this year, as former PRAU presidents received commemorative accolades in recognition of their service to the association since its establishment in 1976.
Rebranding built on customer trust
In the Media Relations category, Pearl Bank was recognised for its strategy of making verified information more accessible than rumours during its transition from PostBank Uganda to Pearl Bank.
The campaign addressed customer concerns about account numbers, balances, loans, cards and deposits through media engagement, leadership interviews and consistent messaging.
Chief Guest Owek. Alhaji Osman Noor Ahmed (4th Left), Second Deputy Prime Minister Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga, PRAU President Irene Nakasiita (5th Left), together with the judges and Pearl Bank officials who were the recipients of the PR Crown Jewel, a judge’s choice and the second-highest award aside from the lifetime achievement. This was during the 10th PRAU Excellence Awards that marked the climax of the PRAU at 50 Anniversary Summit at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja on 23rd October 2026.
Figures submitted in the bank’s awards entry show that its media coverage rose from 353 stories in 2024 to 498 in 2025, representing a 41% increase. Its share of voice in banking coverage reached 10.2% in 2025 and 12% in 2026 reporting, with the bank’s ranking improving to second place in 2026.
The Corporate Storytellers Award recognised the campaign, “The Trust Transition: The Name Changed. The Trust Didn’t,” which communicated the new identity while emphasising continuity in customer relationships and services.
The bank also received a Silver award for “We Are the Pearl,” a campaign that involved employees in the rebranding process. Staff across branches and service points were equipped with information to respond to customer questions and act as ambassadors of the new brand.
Recognition for social impact
Pearl Bank’s Gold award in the Impact Beyond Profit category recognised its partnership with the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) to support the development of Uganda’s bone marrow transplant capacity.
Through the partnership, the bank contributed Shs200 million towards the project and supported public engagement aimed at mobilising additional contributions.
The recognition highlights the range of communication work undertaken by the bank, from managing a major corporate identity change to strengthening employee engagement, building media relationships and supporting a healthcare initiative.
Pearl Bank Head of Marketing and Communications Priscilla Akora said the awards came shortly after the bank marked one year since rebranding from PostBank Uganda.
She said the recognition demonstrated that communication goes beyond publicity to serving as a strategic function for engaging stakeholders and delivering appropriate messages to target audiences.
“For Pearl Bank, it was about communicating the transition to its new identity and how this was aimed at fostering prosperity for Ugandans, which aligns with the bank’s ongoing campaign, ‘When You Grow, Uganda Prospers’,” Akora said.
PRAU marks 50 years
The 10th PRAU Excellence Awards formed part of the association’s Golden Jubilee celebrations under the theme “Celebrating 50 Years of Professional Excellence, Shaping the Future of Public Relations.”
The ceremony brought together public relations practitioners and industry stakeholders to recognise achievements in strategic communication.
For Pearl Bank, the inaugural PR Crown Jewel Award was the evening’s standout recognition, capping a series of awards for its work communicating the transition to its new identity and demonstrating the connection between business, stakeholder engagement and social impact.
Pearl Bank is a government-owned commercial bank whose history dates back to 1926, when banking services operated through the Post Office Savings Department. It was incorporated as PostBank Uganda Limited in 1998 and later adopted the Pearl Bank identity.
The bank operates 59 branches and more than 8,000 agents countrywide, supported by digital banking services including the Pearl Bank App, Pearl Online and smart ATMs.
