This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Published on September 30, 2019, a feature on Victoria Commercial Bank by Tuko sparked controversy over allegations of staff harassment and Indian ownership. However, the bank has since denied these claims, citing evidence to the contrary.
According to a fact-finding mission at the bank's Nairobi offices, the majority of employees are Kenyans of African origin. The bank's nine departments, including Branch Managers, Human Resource, Audit, Finance, Trade, Environment & Social, Legal and Compliance, are headed by Kenyans of African Origin. Only the Treasury, Risk and Credit departments are headed by Kenyans of Indian race.
A spot check at the Westlands branch also confirmed that about two-thirds of employees were Kenyans of African race, including the manager.
Bank employees who spoke to Tuko on condition of anonymity denied allegations of staff harassment, citing a safe and favourable working environment. One employee stated, 'We have a policy against such and anyone aggrieved would report for action because of the safe mechanism we have.'
Administrators who sought anonymity also denied allegations of Indian ownership, confirming that the bank's CEO, Yogesh Pattni, is born in Kenya and holds a Kenyan passport. 'None of the directors hold Indian passports as claimed. The fact that some of the directors are of Asian race does not justify the false accusation. We are Kenyans by birth and never held Indian passports below,' they said.
