Robert ‘Bob’ Dewar, who died on Saturday aged 91, strove to protect names from being blemished, especially names of companies, or brands. And no, he was not a spin doctor, he was a public relations (PR) practitioner.
He was not your ordinary PR practitioner. Known as the PR guru, Bob Dewar was among the pioneers of the profession in Kenya just before the country gained independence.
Bob Dewar, an Oxford University-trained Lawyer, born to an English army officer, and who after the Second World War served as a librarian and administrator in the colonial government took up Kenyan citizenship after the war ended.
He started Bob Dewar Publicity in 1970 as an individual public relations novice consultant after applying to run public relations for oil marketer Caltex. Like most other practitioners, his activities were publicity and events management based.
Bob Dewar never married. He was a private man, the one who kept to himself and stayed away from the social noise of modern corporate PR. While others were away chasing publicity for themselves, Bob Dewar was contented in the background doing what he did best—crafting messages, handling crises, and shaping the public image of some of Kenya’s biggest companies.
He was, in many ways, a vintage man, although one cut from an older, more disciplined cloth. His approach to PR was old-fashioned with no flashy social media campaigns, no personal branding, and no elaborate strategies to impress for the sake of it.
However, what worked for him was his precision, honesty, and consistency.
Bob Dewar’s name is synonymous with public relations in Kenya. His career runs through five decades, which has left a lasting footprint on corporate communications, particularly in the oil, aviation, and hospitality industries.
Born to British parents in Kenya, the PR guru grew up in a disciplined environment, his father was a colonial administrator and librarian and his mother upheld the traditional English household values.
Mr Dewar went to Nairobi Primary School before moving on to Prince of Wales School (now Nairobi School), where he completed his O-Levels in 1952 and A-Levels in 1954.
Being a bright student in an African family, he was expected to follow a promising career path, the ones that give you the lining to prestige and security.
Bob Dewar went to Oxford University, where he pursued a law degree. But despite his excellence, his heart was never fully in the legal profession. He had this innate curiosity for business, marketing and communication.
When he returned to Kenya in 1957, instead of heading straight into legal practice, he accepted a job at Caltex Oil as a graduate trainee. At Caltex, Bob Dewar got exposed to the inner workings of the oil industry, from refining processes to sales and logistics.
However, his natural ability to explain complex business issues in the most simplest and relatable terms made him different.
Whenever fuel prices fluctuated or policy changes needed public understanding, he was tasked with drafting explanations.
The brilliance made him knack that companies needed to connect with the public in a more structured way which went beyond just advertisements.
His role at Caltex became more communications-focused and he saw an opportunity in a then-emerging field of public relations.
In 1970, when the East African Community was dissolved, businesses were forced to restructure their operations in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
It was a perfect moment to strike out on his own, he established Bob Dewar Publicity which became one of Kenya’s first independent PR firms.
His first client was Caltex, an extension of his previous role. His reputation for clear, no-nonsense communication attracted other big names.
Over the years, he worked with some of the most prestigious brands like British Airways, Farmers Choice, Total Oil, Serena Hotels, Lufthansa Airlines, BP Shell and Alfa Romeo.
However, unlike the modern PR firms that expand into large teams, Bob Dewar preferred to work solo, in a heavy work scenario he would do a small, trusted circle.
He believed in hands-on service, which made him often handle everything by himself, from writing press releases to even taking photographs at events.
Interestingly, one of Bob Dewar’s defining traits was his commitment to ethical PR. He made it his business that transparency and integrity talk through his work.
He was very selective with his clients, which ensured there were no conflicts of interest.
However, beyond PR, Bob Dewar was great in motorsport. His love for cars and racing made him one of the leading figures in Kenyan motorsport development.
In the early 1970s, Bob Dewar co-founded the Alfa Romeo Owners Club in Kenya, which brought together car enthusiasts with a shared passion for the Italian brand. This club led to one of his achievements—the creation of the Concours d’Elegance in 1970.
The Concours d’Elegance is an annual event showcasing classic and vintage cars that started as a small gathering but grew into Africa’s premier classic car competition.
Today, it attracts collectors and spectators from all over the African continent and beyond. His influence in motorsport also extended to rallying, where he played roles in publicising and organising events.
