Kenya Airways Names New Acting CEO Hours After Aviation Workers’ Strike

Kenya Airways has announced a leadership change, with Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Capt. George Kamal transitioning from his position after serving in the role during the airline’s recent leadership transition.

The airline’s board thanked Kamal for his four years of service and his contribution to stabilising operations.

The Board of Directors has appointed Habil Waswani, currently the Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services, as the new Acting Group Managing Director and CEO, effective September 15 2026.

Waswani, who currently serves as Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services, will take over the acting leadership role as the airline continues its search for a substantive CEO.

Waswani’s Experience

According to the board, he has more than 24 years of corporate and commercial legal experience, including over five years at Kenya Airways.

Additionally Waswani holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Global Executive MBA from the United States International University in collaboration with Columbia Business School in New York.

Also Read: KQ Sets the Record Straight on Shareholding Structure

He is also a Certified Public Secretary and belongs to the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya, and the Institute of Directors of Kenya.

Before joining Kenya Airways, Waswani held senior corporate governance positions in the banking and insurance sectors.

His Recognitions

In addition, KQ noted that he has received multiple recognitions on the Legal 500 GC Powerlist East Africa since 2004.

The board confirmed that recruitment for a substantive Group Managing Director and CEO is already underway and is expected to conclude in the near term.

Also Read: KQ Loss Deepens to Ksh16 Billion Despite Higher Revenue

During the transition, Kenya Airways said it remains focused on implementing its turnaround strategy, with priority areas including operational reliability, network and fleet optimisation, sustainability, business growth and the identification of a suitable strategic investor.

The appointment marks another leadership transition for KQ as it continues efforts to strengthen its operations and advance its long-term recovery plans

Follow our WhatsApp channel for instant news updates

A photo of Kenya Airways Plane. Photo/ Kenya Airways