KCB names new heads for Rwanda, National Bank of Kenya

Mr George Odhiambo, the outgoing managing director of BPR Bank Plc Rwanda, who now takes charge of the National Bank of Kenya. PHOTO | COURTESY

By BERNA NAMATA

More by this Author

KCB Group has announced senior management changes including promoting its

current head of the Rwandan operation — BPR Rwanda Plc — to head the National Bank of Kenya, almost 10 months since he was appointed to lead its merger with Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR).

BPR Rwanda Plc is currently the second-largest lender in Rwanda, after local bank — Bank of Kigali Plc Ltd. 

Mr George Odhiambo, the current managing director of BPR Bank Plc Rwanda, now takes charge of the National Bank of Kenya.

Mr Odhiambo joined KCB Group in Rwanda in 2009 as head of Business Analytics and Transformation Project before becoming its head of Retail Banking in 2013. He was later promoted to managing director in 2017 a and is credited with turning around the bank’s operations.

Mr Odhiambo was in April 2022 appointed the managing director for BPR Rwanda and has been leading the merger operations.

Replacement

He will be replaced by Ms Patience Mutesi, who until last week was the country director of TradeMark East Africa, a role she has held since July 2016. Ms Mutesi will take charge effective February 1, 2023.

Prior to that, Ms Mutesi was the head of corporate banking at Ecobank Rwanda, and has been a non-executive member of BPR Bank Rwanda PLC, MTN Rwandacell PLC and Rwanda Cooperation. 

Ms Mutesi holds an MBA in finance from Maastricht School of Management in Netherlands and a BSc Honours in Quantitative Economics from Makerere University in Uganda. She is an Eisenhower Fellow and an alumnus of the Swedish Institute Management Programme.

Last week, the bank embarked on the last mile of merging operations by upgrading its core banking system. 

KCB Group’s net profit rose 21.4 percent to KShs.30.6 billion ($246 million) in the first nine months of 2022 on the back of sustained growth from both Net interest and non-funded income lines. This was a jump from KShs.25.2 billion ($202.6 million) reported for the same period last year.

The contribution of Group businesses, which excludes KCB Bank Kenya stood at 16.3 percent, up from 15.2 percent driven by new businesses and the impact of BPR Bank, according to official statements by the Bank.