Questions surrounding the final months of KCB executive Rosemary Chemutai Koech Kimwatu have increasingly focused on difficulties in her marriage, with people close to her family describing prolonged domestic and financial conflicts before her death.
Rosemary, 40, was found dead at a house in Ngong, Kajiado County, on August 21, 2026. A post-mortem examination conducted at Lee Funeral Home by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor established suicide as the cause of death.
The finding explains the cause of death but does not by itself establish what pressures or circumstances may have contributed to her decision.
According to an account given by her family to investigators, Rosemary’s marriage had become deeply strained after more than two decades together. The couple had four children. Her husband, Kimwatu, is now part of the questions raised by the family about the difficult period before her death.
People close to Rosemary say she carried a major financial burden in the marriage. She is said to have supported some of her husband’s business activities and contributed significantly to the construction of their family home.
The house was built on her husband’s ancestral land, with Rosemary reportedly taking loans to help finance the project.
Even after she left the matrimonial home, she continued servicing the loan, according to the family account. Her relatives say this became an additional source of pressure at a time when her marriage was already facing serious problems.
The situation eventually led Rosemary to move out of the family home. She settled in a rented house near her parents in Ngong, where she stayed with her four children. Her family says some of her belongings were later delivered to her parents’ home in four sacks.
The family also recalls an incident when Rosemary and her mother returned to the matrimonial home to collect more belongings. According to their account, they encountered hostility from Kimwatu and his mother and were ordered to leave.
The family further alleges that Kimwatu threatened to mobilise boda boda riders against Rosemary’s mother. These claims remain part of the family’s account and have not been established by a court.
Financial disagreements also feature prominently in the account of Rosemary’s final months. A person close to the family alleges that Rosemary put money into businesses linked to her husband while also meeting other financial responsibilities.
The same source claims that Ksh130 million was being sought to support her husband’s political ambitions, including a possible Senate bid.
There is, however, no independent confirmation that the amount was demanded or that Rosemary transferred such money for that purpose.
The allegation remains part of the wider family account of the financial difficulties surrounding the marriage.
During this period, Rosemary’s family also says her mental health deteriorated. After travelling to Mombasa for a professional seminar where she was expected to make a presentation connected to her work at KCB, she reportedly became distressed and began behaving unusually.
Her siblings travelled to Mombasa and took her for medical attention.
She spent about a week at Chiromo Hospital in Nyali before being transferred to Tranquil Medical Centre, where she stayed for another period. According to her family, she was diagnosed with depression.
After her discharge, Rosemary moved closer to her parents in Ngong as she continued recovering while living with her children. Her family says they remained involved in supporting her during this period.
The events of the night before her death are now an important part of the police investigation. According to the house manager, Rosemary spoke to her husband on the phone after her children had also talked to their father. She later went to her bedroom while still on the call and locked the door.
The following morning, the house manager reportedly tried calling Rosemary and knocking on the bedroom door but received no response. Relatives were eventually contacted, and the bedroom was opened.
Rosemary was found dead inside.Police recovered her phone as investigations into her final hours continued.
Kimwatu has reportedly given investigators a different account of the state of their relationship. He says their final conversation was about reconciliation and that they were discussing plans for Rosemary to return to the matrimonial home.
As attention turns to the troubled marriage, Rosemary’s parents have also moved to defend her employer from claims that workplace pressure contributed to her death.
They say KCB gave their daughter the space and support she needed to develop her career and stood with the family during her illness and after her death.
The parents have urged the public to disregard narratives that do not reflect the family’s position and allow them to mourn their daughter in peace.
The post-mortem has established suicide as the cause of Rosemary’s death, while police continue examining the circumstances surrounding her final hours. The allegations concerning her marriage remain unresolved, and no court has established that her husband caused her death.What emerges from the family’s account is a picture of a marriage that had faced serious domestic and financial difficulties, alongside a period in which Rosemary’s mental health reportedly deteriorated.
Those circumstances form part of the wider investigation as her family seeks to understand the events that preceded her death.
Leave feedback about this