The death of Rosemary Koech Kimwatu, KCB Bank’s Head of Data Protection, after sustained workplace harassment lays bare a toxic culture of bullying, fear and impunity at the bank under Managing Director Annastacia Kimtai.
Rosemary reported her treatment by Group Chief Risk Officer Faith Basiye in writing to Human Resources, the CEO and even Safaricom. She described how the pressure was destroying her mental health. Those complaints were ignored. Days later she took her own life. Colleagues say her case is not unique. Staff describe a workplace where people are belittled in meetings, expected to answer calls and emails at all hours, and punished for any mistake. Promotions often go to those who endure the pressure rather than those who perform well. Many leave not for better jobs but because they cannot take any more. Human Resources, staff say, protects senior managers instead of workers. Report a problem and you become the problem.
At the centre of this, insiders point to Kimtai. Appointed in 2023 as the first woman to lead KCB, she is described by current and former employees as running the bank like a personal fiefdom. Absolute loyalty is demanded. Anyone who questions decisions is sidelined, humiliated or pushed out. One former senior manager said she surrounds herself with people who will never challenge her. Another long-serving staff member called it a culture of fear with no room for learning or growth. Workloads are excessive, deadlines unrealistic, and criticism constant. Some employees have broken down in tears during meetings. Others have developed stress-related illnesses. The turnover rate is high, yet the bank keeps the details quiet.
Kimtai’s influence reaches beyond the bank. She is married to a Permanent Secretary, giving her political connections that make her hard to challenge.
Sources say this network creates a sense of untouchability. Staff fear speaking out because crossing her means facing more than just a CEO. Reports also mention her son’s repeated legal troubles, including drunk driving and fights, which allegedly disappear because of family influence. Insiders link this pattern of entitlement to the same attitude that allows the toxic environment inside KCB to continue unchecked.
Regulators and labour rights groups are now calling for an independent investigation into the bank’s treatment of employees and the circumstances of Rosemary’s death.
They argue the problem is systemic: powerful executives face little accountability while workers have almost no real protection. The board, sources claim, knows about the complaints and the high turnover but will not confront Kimtai. Profit and reputation come first.
Rosemary was a skilled professional. Colleagues say she was brilliant and dedicated. Her death should not be treated as a private tragedy.
It is the result of an environment that wears people down and leaves them nowhere to turn. KCB employees are waiting to see if anything will change. Many doubt it will. Until the culture of fear and impunity is broken, more careers and lives remain at risk.
