Death of a Banker, Birth of a Cover-Up: How KCB and Oxygène PR Are Manipulating a Tragedy

The death of Rosemary Chemutai Koech Kimwatu was supposed to force Kenya's banking sector to confront its toxic workplace culture, but it has instead exposed claims of a coordinated corporate cover up designed to shield KCB Group PLC from accountability.

Rosemary, 40, KCB's Head of Data Protection, was found dead at her Ngong home on August 21, and a post mortem examination later established suicide as the cause of death.

The question haunting many Kenyans who have followed the tragedy is not simply how she died, but what pressures drove her to that point and whether people around her could have intervened.

In the days immediately following Rosemary's death, reports emerged alleging that she had experienced humiliation, excessive pressure and bullying at KCB before her mental health reportedly deteriorated significantly.

Public reports have claimed that Rosemary emailed Human Resources and Group CEO Paul Russo directly seeking protection from workplace pressure, claims that have placed senior management under growing public attention.

As pressure on the bank increased, detailed allegations concerning Rosemary's marriage began appearing in media reports, including claims involving financial disagreements, property disputes and her husband's political ambitions.

The timing of those reports has raised questions among Kenyans who believe the sudden focus on Rosemary's marriage may be intended to move attention away from allegations concerning her workplace.

Critics say the apparent strategy follows a familiar corporate pattern in which personal problems surrounding an employee are placed at the centre of public discussion when institutional questions become uncomfortable.

Oxygène Marketing Communications, the Nairobi public relations agency that counts KCB among its major clients, has now found itself facing questions over the communications response surrounding the controversy.

Founded by former Nation Media Group CEO Linus Gitahi and communications executive Nick Wachira, Oxygène has built a business around handling communications and reputation problems for large corporate clients.

In late 2024, Oxygène faced public criticism over allegations that it was involved in reputation management work connected to Indian conglomerate Adani Group during controversy surrounding plans involving Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Whistleblowers including political commentator Nelson Amenya published claims that Oxygène had been contracted to help improve Adani's public image through online messaging involving influencers and bloggers.

Nick Wachira later filed a lawsuit against Amenya seeking orders stopping him from publishing further information concerning the firm's alleged commercial relationship with Adani, adding another layer to the dispute.

In March 2025, Oxygène was penalised KSh 500,000 by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner after findings that it had processed a complainant's image and personal data without express consent.

The case placed the agency under regulatory attention at a time when questions were already being raised about how major communications firms handle private information during aggressive corporate campaigns.

Oxygène has faced workplace criticism of its own, with reports from 2019 describing internal management disputes, high staff turnover and allegations of a demanding and difficult working environment.

Reports at the time claimed that roughly 30 employees left the company within a relatively short period amid complaints involving management problems and internal disagreements.

Those earlier claims have returned to public discussion as Oxygène handles communications for a client now facing its own allegations concerning workplace treatment and the handling of employee complaints.

Paul Russo, who took charge of KCB in 2022, leads Kenya's largest banking group and holds positions within the Kenya Bankers Association and the UNEP Finance Initiative Leadership Council.

His leadership is now facing several separate controversies that have placed both Russo and the institution he leads under unusually intense legal, regulatory and public pressure.

Russo faces criminal proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti Money Laundering Act involving allegations that suspicious transactions linked to Sh363.4 million stolen from First Assurance Investment Company were not properly reported.

He has challenged the matter in court and obtained orders protecting him from arrest as the legal dispute continues, meaning the accusations remain before the courts for determination.

Activist Francis Awino has separately petitioned the KCB board seeking Russo's suspension over allegations involving the handling of approximately Sh146.3 billion in corporate funds.

Rosemary's death has added another serious problem for Russo, especially if evidence eventually establishes that she personally sought his intervention over workplace treatment and received no effective response.

Rosemary's case has also revived older questions concerning how KCB handles complaints from employees who accuse colleagues or managers of harassment, intimidation or other forms of workplace mistreatment.

In January 2024, the Employment and Labour Relations Court penalised KCB in a constructive dismissal case involving a female teller who had complained about sexual harassment.

In June 2022, the Managing Director of KCB South Sudan was arrested after a female IT manager resigned and made public allegations involving sexual harassment and stalking.

Those cases do not prove the allegations surrounding Rosemary, but they have strengthened calls for investigators to examine whether the bank has repeatedly failed to respond properly when employees raise serious complaints.

The new marital narrative has meanwhile faced resistance because reports themselves state that Rosemary had already left her husband and was living separately in Ngong with her children.

Rosemary was a senior executive with financial independence, and critics are questioning whether claims about an unhappy marriage adequately explain her condition when she had already moved away from the matrimonial home.

She remained employed at KCB during that period, where people familiar with her work have alleged that she continued experiencing sustained professional pressure and mistreatment before her health deteriorated.

Kenyans are now asking whether anyone intervened when Rosemary's mental health worsened, whether her complaints were documented, what senior management knew and what support the bank offered her.

KCB has not publicly released records answering those questions, leaving much of the debate dependent on competing accounts from colleagues, relatives, media reports and people familiar with her circumstances.

Oxygène Marketing Communications is now facing questions of its own as critics ask whether the communications strategy surrounding Rosemary's death has helped KCB or created greater suspicion around the bank.

Rosemary previously worked at Oxygène before joining KCB, creating an unusual connection between the woman at the centre of the controversy and the communications company representing her former employer.

That relationship has attracted particular attention among Kenyans questioning how information concerning Rosemary's private life began dominating coverage shortly after allegations involving her workplace gained national attention.

Rosemary's parents have publicly defended KCB and said the bank supported their daughter, a position that deserves consideration as the family continues mourning her death.

Their statement does not answer whether Rosemary raised workplace complaints, whether colleagues witnessed inappropriate treatment or whether senior executives received communications concerning the pressures she was experiencing.

KCB could settle many of the questions by stating clearly whether formal complaints existed, whether Rosemary raised concerns about particular managers and what support was offered after her health problems became known.

The most important evidence may already exist in Rosemary's phone records, emails, medical records and internal KCB correspondence, which could help investigators establish what pressures she described before her death.

Until those records are examined, attempts to explain Rosemary's death through one part of her personal life will continue facing resistance from Kenyans asking why questions about her workplace remain unanswered.

Rosemary Chemutai Koech Kimwatu deserved a full examination of the circumstances surrounding her death, and the growing controversy around KCB and Oxygène shows that the public is unlikely to accept simple explanations without evidence.