A routine banking transaction unexpectedly thrust Catherine Cherono Tomno into the national spotlight after her name appeared on a viral National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) payment receipt.
The receipt, shared on social media by lawyer Donald Kipkorir, triggered widespread speculation, with some users falsely claiming that traffic fines were being deposited into a private account.
However, available information shows that Catherine Cherono Tomno is a KCB Bank agent attached to the Freedom Heights branch along Lang'ata Road in Nairobi.
Her duties include processing banking transactions, including payments made to government institutions through official banking channels. KCB's agent directory also lists another agent with the same name operating in Buruburu Phase II.
The government has dismissed claims that NTSA fines were being paid into Catherine's personal account. Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Coordination Dennis Itumbi explained that her name appeared on the receipt because she was the bank agent who processed the payment.
According to Itumbi, the funds were paid to NTSA Fines, the official biller indicated on the receipt. Catherine's name appeared separately as the transaction operator, which is standard practice for payments processed through bank agents.
The clarification has sought to dispel misinformation that spread online after the receipt went viral, emphasizing that the payment was made through the official government payment system and not into an individual's account.
