TODAY IN HISTORY: How Former KCB CEO Was Sacked Without Notice by Moi While Working as PS

Martin Oduor, the current Group Chairman of East African Breweries PLC (EABL), at one particular time, revealed how he was unexpectedly dismissed from his role as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance while attending a routine medical appointment.

Speaking during a mentorship session in 2016, Oduor recounted how his career took a dramatic turn in 1999.

At the time, he was serving as Finance Director at Barclays Bank when Richard Leakey, then Head of the Civil Service, approached him to join a “dream team” tasked with rescuing Kenya’s struggling economy.

How Martin Oduor Was Sacked as Permanent Secretary

Leakey approached Oduor with an urgent request.

“President Moi has asked me to pull together a team of six people to go into government and try to change course because the economy was doing very badly in 1999,” he told him.

Oduor said he was initially hesitant, concerned about his career and family, but ultimately accepted the challenge and joined the government.

His first year in the Treasury was productive, helping restore donor confidence and implement reforms. However, by the second year, he says their role became less critical once donor funds were in place.

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One Friday at 1 p.m., while at Nairobi Hospital for a check-up, Oduor received shocking news.

“My secretaries in the office phoned me. They said, ‘There has been a change.’ I said, ‘What change?’ We have a new Permanent Secretary,” Oduor recalled.

After finishing with the doctor, Oduor went downstairs, unsure of what awaited him. Fortunately, his driver and bodyguard were waiting.

Oduor narrated that during those days, once you were fired, you were immediately on your own, but his driver and bodyguard reassured him all would be well. “Where shall we take you?” they asked, guiding him safely to his home.

Once home, he explained to his family what had happened. He assured his children that life will be better despite his sacking.

“Don’t worry, life will be okay,” Martin said.

After reassuring his family,  he returned to the office to hand over his duties to his successor and close that chapter of his career.

Profile of Former KCB CEO

He is an Accredited Executive Coach and a Leadership and Governance Advisor. He also holds the PCC Credential from the International Coach Federation.

Oduor is the Founder and Executive Director of The Leadership Group, where he focuses on Executive Coaching, Leadership Development and Governance Training, Mentoring, as well as Strategy Development and Execution support. The firm works across all sectors and targets its services at C-suite leaders. Its programs are tailor-made to meet the specific needs of institutions and individuals.

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Oduor has nearly 40 years of experience, most of it at a senior executive level, including serving as CEO in financial services and as a Partner in a Big Four firm, to support his client engagements.

Martin Oduor holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree in Accounting from the University of Nairobi, where he studied between 1976 and 1979. He later pursued further studies at the ESAMI/Maastricht School of Management, earning an Executive MBA in Accounting and Finance between 2001 and 2003. In 2007, he completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

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Photo of Martin Oduor. PHOTO/The Knowledge Warehouse