A professional with over two decades experience in management, organization development and marketing, Pamela Mutua is the current chief executive officer of the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC).
She has over the years worked with some of the leading corporates in the continent holding enviable positions.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Education
She holds an MBA in Strategic Management (2004) from University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Education (1997) from Kenyatta University.
Pamela Mutua Career
The Managing Director worked as a direct sales representative for Standard Chartered Bank from 1997 to 2000. She went on to join Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Healthcare as the group product manager in 2003.
Mid 2008, she joined Coca Cola Company as a senior franchise brand manager followed by Danone in 2011 as the regional marketing manager.
In March 2012, she became the division manager- Land Rover at CMC Motors Group Limited.
In September 2015, Pamela joined telecommunications giant Safaricom PLC as the senior marketing manager in charge of brand and communications. This was followed by the role of senior advisor to cabinet secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
From March 2018 to the end of 2020, she served as a consulting partner at Skeme Advertising Group (SAG Brand House).
This is a fully integrated advertising and marketing company that focuses on execution on all levels from Digital and Traditional Media to Outdoor and Transit advertising.
In January 2021, she became the managing director at Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC). This is a state corporation under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments.
Its mandate includes acting as a procurement agent for the government and participating in the promotion of wholesale and retail trade in order to strengthen the supply chain of essential products within the country.
Edible oil scandal
Recently, she was among key officially arrested and grilled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) over her alleged role in the Ksh16.5 billion edible oils scandal.
KNTC had been contracted by the government to import edible oils and in June 2023, it emerged that companies owned by people affiliated to the government were single sourced to procure edible oils.
According to Citizen digital, one of the companies awarded the local purchase order was: Shehena Trading Commodity Limited, 100% owned by Invest Africa – FZCO, a company registered in a Dubai free zone, headed by a Wilfred Saroni, who was said to be a close associate of Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria.
KNTC is now struck with overpriced stock and if the state corporation loses taxpayers will lose Ksh6 billion.
