A growing dispute within Absa Bank Kenya has taken a dramatic turn, with allegations of blackmail, misconduct, and threats being levelled against a senior employee.
What initially appeared to be a private entanglement has now escalated into a full-blown scandal, drawing in the management, family members, and even the authorities.
At the centre of the controversy is Serah Muthui, an employee at Absa Bank’s Nyali branch, who has been accused of leveraging her position to intimidate and threaten a family over what she describes as ‘persistent interference.’
Serah has been linked to a series of allegations, including leaking confidential client information, engaging in illicit financial dealings, and compromising marital homes.
The latest revelation involves threats to release explicit images of Elias Kariku Kavwangi, a 55-year-old man with whom she has allegedly been involved in a relationship.
A family member identified as Mwangi disclosed that Serah called one of Kavwangi’s relatives and issued threats aimed at silencing them.
“She called my sister Ann and threatened her that she would use all means to silence us. She even went ahead and told us that she has a lot of money, including from his family and his brother, who is a director at the bank. She said they can even take our life,” Mwangi stated.
The matter has now reached the upper echelons of Absa Bank’s management.
A letter of complaint, written by Elizabeth Kinyanjui, was submitted to the bank’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director on February 14, 2025.
The document details multiple grievances against Serah Muthui and outlines the distress she has allegedly caused to Kavwangi’s wife and children.
Elizabeth, who is an aunt and close relative of Kavwangi’s wife, accused Serah of aggressively intruding into the matrimonial home in Shanzu, located at Tsavo Street opposite Club Volume.
“We came to learn about Serah after Kavwangi’s children raised an issue about her frequent visits to their marital home,” the letter reads.
Elizabeth further revealed that Serah would deliberately leave her vehicle (KDC 004B) parked at the residence while taking Kavwangi’s car (KBJ 977Y, a red Mitsubishi) to go partying, leaving the children unattended.
The family, according to the complaint, initially dismissed the situation as a passing affair but grew alarmed by the extent of Serah’s influence over Kavwangi and her alleged exploitation of her banking position.
“As a family, we even think that Serah has used unknown powers to lure Mzee Kavwangi,” the letter stated.
Elizabeth also claims that Serah passed confidential banking details to Kavwangi, involving businessmen with overseas accounts, some of whom had passed away, leaving behind unclaimed funds.
“We do not want our family entangled in banking scandals. The boys in our family are tech-savvy, and one day, they overheard her discussing a chip that she always carries, which contains sensitive banking data,” she narrated.
The family is concerned that Serah may have introduced Kavwangi to fraudulent dealings, including money laundering schemes, making him increasingly elusive.
Kavwangi, originally from Embu East, Gicheche sub-location, has never been involved in controversies of this nature, and his relatives are questioning the drastic changes in his behaviour.
“If that is not witchcraft, what is it?” a relative questioned.
The situation took an even darker turn when Kavwangi’s sons went through his phone and discovered explicit materials allegedly linked to Serah.
One day, they also stumbled upon her identification documents, which she had left behind while asking Kavwangi to assist her in acquiring a new number plate from Miritini.
It was then that the family realised that Serah, who has two children of her own, was deeply entangled in their father’s life.
Elizabeth’s letter urged Absa Bank to intervene, requesting that Serah be warned against interfering in marital affairs and engaging in activities that could drag the family into banking-related controversies.
Serah has separately been accused of involvement in corrupt dealings, money laundering, and breaches of banking protocols.
A social media user recently posted a damning statement on the matter:
“Hello Absa Kenya, I am reporting this without contradiction. Your employee, Ms Serah Muthui, who works at the Nyali branch, is destroying matrimonial homes,” wrote Johntez Githungumi.
Serah’s association with Kavwangi has also been linked to a separate criminal case involving the murder of a middle-aged man, reportedly the result of a love triangle dispute.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth has reported receiving threatening calls and messages from individuals believed to be linked to Serah.
In an audio recording shared with journalists, she narrated how she has been warned to stay silent.
She has since documented the threats in a formal complaint and intends to report them to the police.
The family believes that since they started speaking out about Serah’s activities, there has been a coordinated attempt to silence them.
“We vividly remember that a bank staff member was murdered over similar issues. Oscar Owino. We do not want to witness such incidents again,” Mwangi added.
As the scandal unfolds, pressure is mounting on Absa Bank to address the allegations surrounding one of its staff members, with stakeholders and the public keenly watching the next course of action.
