Journal
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research
MJAAR
The Role Of Mobile Money Banking In Promoting Financial Inclusion In Rural Areas: A Case Of Mobile Money Users In Mityana District
Nakayiki Stella, Irumba Alex
| Journal | Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR) |
| Volume / Issue | Vol. 5, No. 6 |
| Published | 30 June 2026 |
| ISSN | 3006-6417 |
Abstract
This study investigated the role of mobile money banking in promoting financial inclusion among mobile money users in Mityana District, Uganda. Financial exclusion remains a persistent development challenge in Uganda's rural areas, where formal banking infrastructure is sparse and traditional financial services are inaccessible to significant portions of the population. Using a cross-sectional survey of 210 mobile money users in Mityana District, the study examined how mobile money services contribute to financial inclusion through three pathways: savings mobilization (r = 0.574, p < 0.01), credit access facilitation (r = 0.538, p < 0.01), and financial transaction services (r = 0.612, p < 0.01). All three pathways demonstrated significant positive correlations with financial inclusion. Multiple regression analysis revealed that financial transaction services were the strongest predictor of financial inclusion (β = 0.392, p < 0.001), followed by savings mobilization (β = 0.283, p < 0.01) and credit access facilitation (β = 0.241, p < 0.05). The model explained 64.8% of the variance in financial inclusion (R² = 0.648). The study concludes that mobile money banking is a significant driver of financial inclusion in Mityana District and recommends policies to expand mobile network coverage, develop mobile credit products tailored to rural needs, and promote digital financial literacy to maximize the financial inclusion impact of mobile money platforms.
Keywords
Mobile money banking
financial inclusion
rural finance
MTN Mobile Money
Airtel Money
Cite This Article
Nakayiki Stella & Irumba Alex (2026). The Role Of Mobile Money Banking In Promoting Financial Inclusion In Rural Areas: A Case Of Mobile Money Users In Mityana District. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(6). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=661
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