Kenya Airways acting CEO George Kamal resigns, Habil Waswani takes over
Kenya Airways Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Captain George Kamal has resigned from the national carrier, citing personal reasons. KQ announced the leadership change on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, saying Kamal will remain with the airline for a 30-day transition period before formally leaving on September 30, 2026. The airline has appointed […]
Captain George Kamal, the Acting Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways, has resigned from his position due to personal reasons. The airline announced the leadership change on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with Kamal remaining with the company for a 30-day transition period before officially leaving on September 30, 2026.
Habil Waswani, the Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance, was appointed as Acting Group Managing Director and CEO from September 15. The board has already initiated the process of finding a permanent CEO replacement.
Kamal assumed the role of acting CEO on December 16, 2025, after serving as the Chief Operating Officer for three years. He succeeded Allan Kilavuka, who left the position in December of the previous year. During his tenure as acting CEO, Kamal oversaw Kenya Airways' efforts to implement a turnaround strategy aimed at improving operational reliability, controlling costs, and restoring sustainable financial performance. The board expressed gratitude to Kamal for his service, leadership, and dedication to the airline.
Kenya Airways has been facing financial and operational challenges, with a reported Ksh16.1 billion net loss for the six months ending June 2026, despite a 9.1% increase in total income to Ksh81.25 billion. The airline's operating costs rose to Ksh91.9 billion, driven by increased fuel and maintenance expenses. To address these issues, Kenya Airways has been working to restore aircraft capacity, and its cabin factor improved by four percentage points, indicating better utilization of available passenger capacity.
The airline's Chairman, Kiprono Kittony, mentioned that Kenya Airways is seeking new investors to strengthen its balance sheet and implement the turnaround plan. Waswani, who has over 24 years of experience in corporate and commercial legal practice and has worked with Kenya Airways for more than five years, will serve as acting CEO until the board completes the recruitment of a permanent CEO.
With a strong legal background and previous roles in banking and insurance institutions, Waswani brings valuable expertise to the position.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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