Digital Banking Services and Customer Satisfaction in East Africa

Digital banking can expand service access while leaving customers dissatisfied with execution, security or support. This systematic literature review examines customer-based evidence from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan and considers its implications for I&M Bank Uganda. OpenAlex title-and-abstract searching and supplementary Consensus searches, conducted on 29 October 2026, identified 279 records. Following deduplication, eligibility assessment and full-report appraisal, 22 studies were included. A thematic synthesis distinguished service attributes, customer evaluations and behavioural outcomes; a six-domain appraisal examined sampling, measurement, analysis, confounding, reporting and transferability. Convenience, reliable execution, perceived security and useful assistance recur in reported satisfaction relationships. However, results differ across channels and attributes. Satisfaction is sometimes measured through loyalty or adoption proxies, and several reports contain incompatible sample or statistical summaries. Predominantly cross-sectional evidence provides limited grounds for causal claims. An episode-based interpretation connects practical access, task completion, confirmation and recovery with customer evaluation. For I&M Bank Uganda, the evidence supports locally tested service improvements and measurement that includes unsuccessful attempts. It does not establish the bank's satisfaction level or an institution-specific impact. Search limitations, inaccessible reports and an AI-assisted single-workflow review constrain confidence.