A Mombasa lobby group has staged a protest demanding investigations into alleged misconduct by officials of Absa Bank Kenya, including claims of customer data breaches, abuse of office and other irregularities.
The protesters want the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to conduct a thorough review of the bank’s handling of customer information and complaints and establish whether any staff members breached banking and data protection regulations.
They have also called for legal action against any officials found culpable following investigations.
The protest comes against the backdrop of a separate push by Busia Senator Andrew Okiya Omtatah Okoiti for CBK and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate allegations involving Absa officials.
In letters dated September 17, 2026 and received by CBK and the DCI on September 21, Omtatah called for investigations into alleged unlawful payments, customer confidentiality breaches and other alleged misconduct involving bank officials.
The senator’s intervention relates to the long-running dispute between Absa Bank Kenya and New Mega Africa Limited, a road haulage company involved in Mombasa Commercial Case No. E068 of 2022.
Omtatah wants CBK to establish whether there were regulatory breaches while the DCI examines allegations that could amount to criminal offences.
Among the issues raised are alleged payments linked to banking services and claims that confidential financial information belonging to New Mega Africa was disclosed to third parties.
The senator has asked investigators to examine bank and M-Pesa records, internal investigation files, credit documents and relevant communications.
He has also called for scrutiny of Absa’s systems for handling customer complaints, whistleblowing, anti-bribery controls and data protection.
The Mombasa protesters have now expanded the call for scrutiny, demanding that individual Absa employees named in various complaints and documents be subjected to proper investigations rather than having the allegations treated as settled matters.
One of the officials mentioned in the documents is Wycliffe Makori.
Omtatah’s complaints cite allegations concerning financial transactions involving Makori and New Mega Africa officials as well as claims surrounding the handling of confidential customer information.
According to the documents, some of the alleged payments ranged from Sh2,000 to more than Sh500,000 and were allegedly made through M-Pesa, bank transfers and cash.
One alleged transaction involved Sh100,000 paid to Evelyn Essendi, identified in the documents as Makori’s wife, in connection with a temporary overdraft request involving a Sh3 million disbursement.
Another alleged payment of Sh40,000 is linked to Makori and a Tororo payment involving a Sh2.56 million disbursement.
The documents further allege that Makori received Sh51,000 from a company director in connection with insurance for a vehicle jointly registered in the name of the bank and the officer.
Omtatah also cites witness statements in which Makori acknowledged several financial transactions involving himself and the company’s director but described them as personal or friendly transactions.
Makori has denied allegations that he coerced New Mega Africa into lending Sh820,000 to another Absa client, Buzz Afrique, and also denied receiving a commission from the transaction.
The allegations remain unproven and require investigation by the relevant authorities.
Data breach allegations
The protest has also placed renewed focus on allegations of customer data leakage.
Omtatah’s complaint cites claims that confidential information relating to New Mega Africa was allegedly disclosed to third parties without the company’s knowledge or consent.
The company’s director claimed that a supplier and a customer confronted him with Absa correspondence and a bank statement showing the company’s overdrawn position.
The CBK complaint also refers to a witness statement by former Absa Sector Head for Business Banking, Coast Region, Evans Murumba Wekesa.
According to the documents, Wekesa’s statement indicates that Makori made a telephone call to Jared Makori of the Kenya National Highways Authority concerning New Mega Africa’s financial difficulties.
The documents state that Makori later acknowledged making the call after a meeting with the company and that the matter was escalated within Absa.
Omtatah argues that the alleged disclosure could amount to a breach of the duty of confidentiality under Section 31 of the Banking Act and applicable data protection requirements.
Other staff named in complaints
The protesters have also cited other Absa employees in relation to separate complaints and public disputes.
These include Lilian Adhiambo, described in the documents as a former Absa Karen Branch Manager. The material cited in the complaints alleges that she was dismissed over alleged gross misconduct involving unauthorised account access and suspected transactions.
Serah Muthui, an Absa Nyali Branch employee, is also mentioned in a separate complaint submitted to the bank’s senior management.
A letter dated February 14, 2024 and addressed to Absa’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director was titled “Complaint Against Serah Muthui.”
The complaint was signed by Elizabeth Mulwa Kinyanjui, who described herself as an aunt and close relative of Elias Kariuki Kawangi’s wife.
Kinyanjui asked the bank’s senior management to intervene in what she described as a family dispute involving Kawangi and Muthui.
The letter alleged that Muthui made frequent visits to the family’s home in Shanzu and raised concerns over the alleged relationship.
The complaint also referred to information allegedly contained in mobile phones and communications involving people connected to the dispute.
It was copied to several senior Absa officials, including the Head of Human Resource, Head of Premium, Head of Brand and Marketing, Director of People and Culture and Head of Coast Region.
The document therefore represents a formal complaint seeking management intervention involving an employee of the bank.
However, the allegations contained in the complaint have not been independently established and the document does not amount to a finding of misconduct or criminal wrongdoing against Muthui.
Calls for independent scrutiny
The protesters want CBK to establish whether Absa maintained adequate systems for handling customer complaints, whistleblowing reports, anti-bribery controls, data protection and internal escalation of serious allegations.
Omtatah has separately asked the DCI to record statements from the bank officials named in the complaints and obtain relevant M-Pesa and bank transfer records.
He has also requested access to Absa’s internal investigation records and credit files relating to New Mega Africa’s facilities.
Other requests include examination of call data records involving Makori and Jared Makori, interviewing the relevant KeNHA official and reviewing Absa’s compliance systems.
Omtatah has further asked that the matter be considered by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner where their mandates apply.
The senator wants CBK to determine whether any regulatory breaches occurred and, if allegations are established, consider appropriate action including sanctions, penalties and compliance measures.
The CBK complaint also questions an internal investigation conducted by Absa after the bank received additional information from New Mega Africa in September 2022.
According to Makori’s statement cited in the complaint, the investigation found no disclosure of New Mega Africa’s information to third parties and no wrongdoing by bank staff.
Omtatah, however, has questioned aspects of the process, including the circumstances under which the investigation was conducted.
The latest protest in Mombasa now puts additional pressure on regulators and law enforcement agencies to independently establish the facts surrounding the various complaints.
The allegations form part of separate complaints and an ongoing civil dispute between New Mega Africa Limited and Absa Bank Kenya PLC.
They remain allegations pending investigations and determination by the relevant authorities or courts where applicable.
The documents cited in the complaints do not contain responses from CBK or the DCI confirming whether the requested investigations have commenced.
