Investigating Financial Inclusion as a New Dimension for Agribusiness Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Financial Performance in Rural Uganda

Financial inclusion has increasingly been recognized as a critical driver of enterprise development, poverty reduction, and inclusive economic growth. However, existing empirical studies largely examine financial access, financial usage, and financial service quality as separate constructs, resulting in fragmented understanding of how these dimensions collectively influence enterprise performance. The study employed a cross-sectional explanatory survey design and collected primary data from 208 agribusiness MSMEs across six districts of Greater Kigezi Sub-region. Instrument validity was confirmed through a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.90, while reliability analysis yielded The instrument attained a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.90, while reliability analysis yielded Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.860 for financial access, 0.764 for financial usage, and 0.870 for financial service quality. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression techniques. The findings revealed significant positive associations between financial inclusion dimensions and MSME financial performance. Financial access exhibited a strong positive relationship with financial performance (r = 0.604, p < 0.001), while financial usage demonstrated a moderate positive relationship (r = 0.542, p < 0.001). Financial service quality was also positively and significantly associated with financial performance (r = 0.551, p < 0.001). The study concludes that financial inclusion should not be viewed merely as the availability of financial services but as a multidimensional process involving access, active utilization, and delivery of high-quality financial services. The study provides important implications for policymakers, financial institutions, development partners, and MSME support programmes seeking to promote sustainable enterprise growth, financial resilience, and inclusive economic development in rural and emerging economies.