Rosemary Koech, KCB Head of Data Protection, Passes On

Rosemary Kimwatu Koech, Head of Data Protection at KCB Bank Group, has died, CIO Africa has learnt. She passed away at her home in Ngong on Friday morning. She was a well-known figure in Kenya’s technology, fintech, legal and data protection communities.

Koech’s death brings to an end a career that spanned nearly two decades across law, public policy, technology, fintech and data protection, with her work increasingly focused on one of the most important issues facing organisations in the digital economy: how personal data is collected, processed and protected.

The circumstances surrounding her death have not yet been disclosed. Her family is yet to issue a public statement on the cause of death.

Koech joined KCB Bank Group in June 2022 as Data Protection Officer, transitioning from Safaricom PLC, where she had served as Public Policy Manager. She was subsequently appointed Head of Data Protection in June 2023, taking responsibility for the Group’s data protection compliance. Her move to KCB was reported by CIO Africa in 2022, when she announced the transition from Safaricom, describing it as a “season of growth and transition” and an opportunity to take on a new challenge.

Before joining Safaricom in 2020, Koech had built a career that brought together legal expertise, public policy and the technology industry. She previously served as Head of Public Policy and Legal and Regulatory Specialist at Oxygène Marketing Communications, and held senior legal and regulatory roles at technology and fintech companies including WayaWaya and MODE.

Her career began in marketing before she moved into industrial relations and legal practice. She subsequently worked as a Legal and Administrative Officer at Caritas Nairobi before moving into the technology sector.

Beyond her corporate roles, Koech was deeply involved in Kenya’s wider technology ecosystem. At the time of her death, she served as a member of the Board of Trustees of KICTANet, a board member of the Association of Fintechs in Kenya and a director and board member at KeNIC TLD. She also chaired the Data Protection Working Group at the Kenya Bankers Association and served as an operational board member of Legal Hackers as a volunteer.

These positions placed her at the intersection of some of Kenya’s most important digital policy conversations, including data protection, financial technology, internet governance, cybersecurity, regulation and the responsible use of technology.

A career at the intersection of law and technology

Koech’s career was notable for the way it evolved alongside Kenya’s rapidly changing digital economy. Her legal background gave her an understanding of regulation and governance, while her years working with technology companies, telecommunications and financial institutions put her close to the practical challenges created by digital transformation.

This became particularly relevant as Kenya’s data protection framework developed and organisations began grappling with the requirements of the Data Protection Act and the growing importance of privacy and responsible data management.

At KCB, she was part of the leadership responsible for navigating these issues within one of East Africa’s largest banking groups. But her influence extended beyond her day job. Through KICTANet, the Kenya Bankers Association, the Association of Fintechs in Kenya, KeNIC and other industry platforms, Koech participated in conversations that brought together technology companies, policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders.

For many in Kenya’s technology community, she was therefore more than a data protection professional. She was part of a generation of professionals helping shape the rules and institutions around the country’s digital economy.

Her academic and professional background reflected that intersection. Koech held a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Her career demonstrated how legal expertise could be applied beyond traditional legal practice, particularly as technology increasingly became intertwined with regulation, public policy and business, earning her a place in our inaugural Most Influential Women in Digital Transformation list in 2020.

Koech leaves behind a professional legacy in an area that has become increasingly central to Kenya’s digital future: ensuring that innovation and the use of data are accompanied by accountability, privacy and trust.

At the time of publication, her family had not yet communicated details regarding funeral arrangements. CIO Africa will update this story as more information becomes available.