NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 25 – The Alliance for Human Rights Activists and Defenders for Justice and Accountability has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the KCB Group Board of Directors demanding the immediate suspension of Group Chief Executive Officer Paul Russo.

By Faith wanza mueni 


Human rights activists from the Alliance for Human Rights Activists & Defenders for Justice and Accountability during a press briefing in Nairobi. Photo/courtesy

The civil society group is demanding an independent, comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu, the bank's Head of Data Protection, alongside the handling of a contested Sh146.3 billion (€978.6 million) transaction involving Fox Capital Investment Limited.

Addressing the press in Nairobi, human rights activist and public interest advocate Francis Awino stated that the temporary removal of the CEO is necessary to safeguard the integrity of ongoing investigations, prevent potential interference with electronic evidence, and protect key witnesses.
"No Chief Executive Officer should remain in full control of a regulated financial institution while serious and credible allegations concerning his administration are awaiting investigation," Awino emphasized.

Koech-Kimwatu passed away suddenly on August 21, 2026, under unclear circumstances. The activists expressed deep concern over whether the deceased officer faced undue pressure, intimidation, or received direct instructions from superiors to delete, alter, or suppress digital records tied to the withheld billions.
"We are not alleging that these instructions caused Rosemary’s death, nor are we accusing any individual of responsibility for her death. We are demanding that this line of inquiry be independently investigated and conclusively addressed," the statement read in part.

Key Demands Raised by the Activists:

Independent Probe: An immediate and impartial investigation into the sudden death of Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu and timely communication of post-mortem findings to her family
Preservation of Records: Preservation of all electronic audit trails, SWIFT messages, system logs, emails, and physical records under Incident No. KCB-FIN-IT-2026-0417.
Governance Compliance: Complete adherence to subsisting High Court orders restraining the bank from transferring or dealing with the funds held in a "HELD – PRE-SETTLEMENT SUSPENSE" status.
Stepping Aside of Management: The immediate stepping aside of Group CEO Paul Russo as a precautionary corporate governance measure, without pre-judging guilt.

The activist group warned that should KCB Group fail to respond to the demands within 72 hours, they will exercise their constitutional right under Article 37 to organize peaceful demonstrations and a sit-down at KCB Headquarters, alongside petitioning the High Court, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC).

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