Josh Teddy Amwago has won a lawsuit against Ecobank Limited after the bank mistakenly listed him as a Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) defaulter over a disputed KSh 3 balance.
The case dates back to October 2010, when Josh opened an account at Ecobank’s Kitale branch. Without his knowledge, the bank deducted maintenance fees, interest charges, and excise duty totaling KSh 11,540. After he raised concerns, the charges were reversed, but the CRB records still erroneously reflected that he owed KSh 3.
This wrongful listing denied him access to two credit facilities, one under KCB Bank’s KCB-M-Pesa loan scheme and another at Eclof Kenya Limited. When he discovered the issue, Josh sued Ecobank for failing to update his CRB status and for not informing him about the listing, which violated banking regulations.
Although his initial claim for damages was dismissed, he appealed the decision at the High Court in Kitale. Justice Anthony Mrima ruled in his favor, citing Ecobank’s negligence and infringement of his rights. The court awarded Josh KSh 500,000 in general damages for the financial and reputational harm caused by the wrongful listing.
