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 Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance Habil Waswani as Acting Group Managing Director and CEO from September 15.

KQ said its board had already started the process of recruiting a substantive holder of the position.

Kamal took over as acting CEO on December 16, 2025, after serving as the airline’s Chief Operating Officer for three years. He replaced Allan Kilavuka, who left the position in December last year.

During his time as acting CEO, Kamal oversaw Kenya Airways as it pursued a turnaround strategy aimed at improving operational reliability, controlling costs and restoring sustainable financial performance.

“The Board and management of the Company hereby express their gratitude to Capt. Kamal for his diligence, service, leadership, and dedication to the Airline over the years,” KQ said in the announcement.

The board said Kamal helped stabilise the airline’s operations while serving as COO and later led the company through the executive leadership transition and implementation of its turnaround strategy.

His departure comes as Kenya Airways continues to face financial and operational pressure.

KQ faces financial pressure

Kenya Airways reported a Ksh16.1 billion net loss for the six months ended June 2026, despite recording Ksh81.25 billion in total income, a 9.1 per cent increase from the same period in 2025.

Operating costs rose to Ksh91.9 billion during the period, up from Ksh80.7 billion a year earlier. Fuel and maintenance costs were among the main pressures on the airline’s finances.

KQ has also been working to restore aircraft capacity after fleet availability problems affected its operations.

The airline said in August that revenue increased by 9 per cent despite operating with 9 per cent less capacity. Its cabin factor also improved by four percentage points, indicating stronger use of available passenger capacity.

KQ Chairman Kiprono Kittony has said the airline is seeking new investors as it works to strengthen its balance sheet and implement its turnaround plan. The airline was preparing to disclose potential new investors as it seeks fresh capital.

Waswani takes interim role

Waswani will take over from Kamal on September 15 and serve as acting CEO while the board completes the recruitment of a substantive chief executive.

KQ said Waswani has more than 24 years of experience as a corporate and commercial legal practitioner and has worked at Kenya Airways for more than five years.

He has overseen aviation-related legal matters as well as the airline’s commercial and corporate law work.

Before joining Kenya Airways, Waswani held senior positions in listed banking and insurance institutions. KQ said he is a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya and the Institute of Directors of Kenya.

He 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 Master of Business Administration from United States International University in collaboration with Columbia Business School.

The board said Waswani would lead the airline during the interim period as it searches for a permanent CEO.

“The Company remains focused on the ongoing turnaround strategy of the airline,” KQ said, adding that the strategy is aimed at securing operational reliability, returning to positive financial performance and achieving its growth ambitions.

The leadership transition also comes as Kenya Airways deals with immediate operational challenges. On Tuesday, the airline warned passengers to expect some delays as it cleared a backlog following the end of a two-day aviation workers’ strike. KQ expects normal scheduled operations to resume on Wednesday, September 2.