The national carrier announced on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, that Kamal will serve out a 30-day transition period before formally exiting on September 30, plunging the airline into fresh uncertainty at a critical juncture in its turnaround efforts.
Kamal stepped into the acting role on December 16, 2025, following the departure of Allan Kilavuka, who left after six years at the helm. Having served as Chief Operating Officer for three years prior to his elevation, Kamal was credited with helping stabilise operations and steering the airline through a delicate executive transition while pushing forward the turnaround programme aimed at restoring operational reliability and sustainable financial performance.
His exit now leaves the board scrambling to maintain momentum. In a swift move, the board has appointed Habil Waswani, the airline’s Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance, as the new Acting Group Managing Director and CEO effective September 15.
Waswani represents a sharp departure from Kamal’s operations-heavy background. A lawyer by training, he has spent over five years at Kenya Airways and brings more than two decades of corporate and commercial legal experience, with previous senior roles in banking and insurance. 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 MBA from United States International University in collaboration with Columbia Business School.
The board has confirmed that a competitive recruitment process for a substantive Group Managing Director and CEO is already underway, even as it reaffirms commitment to the turnaround strategy and the ongoing search for a strategic investor.
For Waswani, the task ahead is formidable. He takes charge just as Kenya’s aviation sector is recovering from a disruptive two-day workers’ strike, and his immediate priority will be to keep operations steady while navigating the airline’s financial recovery, investment plans, and the hunt for a permanent chief executive.
As Kenya Airways braces for yet another change at the top, the pressing question is no longer who will fill the acting role. But who will ultimately seize the controls and steer the national carrier’s long-delayed turnaround into its next phase?
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