NAIROBI, Kenya- KCB Head of Data Protection Rosemary Chemutai Koech was buried at her parents’ home in Chepseon, Kericho County, on Friday night, August 28, amid a dispute between her family and her husband over her final send-off.
The burial took place hours after the Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Court issued interim orders stopping the burial without the involvement of her husband, Kevin Migwe Kimwatu.
Kimwatu had moved to court after claiming that he had been excluded from arrangements to bury Chemutai, despite the two remaining legally married.
The court directed that her remains should not be removed from Lee Funeral Home or buried without Kimwatu’s involvement and consent. The matter was scheduled for further mention on August 31.
Despite the orders, Chemutai’s family proceeded with the burial at their Chepseon home later that evening.
Family members and Kalenjin elders said the decision to conduct the burial at night was influenced by cultural considerations, with elders explaining that night burials had historically been practised in some circumstances.
The dispute had centred partly on where Chemutai would be laid to rest. Kimwatu wanted her buried at his ancestral home in Matasia, Ngong, in Kajiado County, while her parents preferred to bury her at their Chepseon home.
Chemutai, 40, was the Head of Data Protection in KCB’s Risk Division. She died on August 21, 2026, at a house she lived in with her children in Ngong, Kajiado County.
The funeral dispute also brought attention to KCB records showing that Chemutai had listed her sister, Judy Koech-Oyamo, and her son, Charles Migwe Kimwatu, as next of kin for funeral and mortuary arrangements.
KCB clarified that the designation was intended to facilitate funeral and mortuary arrangements and did not determine who was legally entitled to administer Chemutai’s estate or receive other benefits.
Kimwatu told the court that although the couple had separated for about four months before her death, they remained legally married and had four children. He also said efforts towards reconciliation were ongoing before Chemutai died.
A memorial service was held at the family home in Chepseon on Saturday, bringing together relatives, friends and colleagues who gathered to remember the KCB Head of Data Protection.
The court case is expected to continue on August 31, 2026, with the circumstances surrounding the disputed burial likely to form part of the proceedings.
