Kenya Airways is set for a new board after President William Ruto confirmed that appointments will be made this week. Speaking at the Kenya Open 2026 golf tournament on February 22, Ruto described the national carrier as the pride of Africa and a national jewel.
He assured Kenyans, saying that the airline would be his next focus.
“Kenya Airways, the pride of Africa, is our jewel. And I want to tell the good people at Kenya Airways that is going to be my next focus,” Ruto said.
Ruto On Kenya Airways New Board Appointments
President Ruto stated that the new board will comprise men and women tasked with driving the airline’s transformation as part of broader national reforms.
“And I want to tell the good people at Kenya Airways that is going to be my next focus. In fact, this week we will appoint a new board for Kenya Airways to make sure that we get men and women who are going to drive the transformation of Kenya Airways as we transform our nation,” he said.
Additionally, the president addressed government plans to continue building sports infrastructure and to encourage partnerships with private-sector players to move the country forward collectively.
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“So, together, we are going to build the sports infrastructure, we are going to encourage partnerships with all other private sector players,” he encouraged.
Allan Kilavuka’s Exit as CEO and Managing Director
On December 16, Kenya Airways officially announced the exit of Allan Kilavuka as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, as he proceeds on terminal leave ahead of the expiry of his contractual tenure.
Allan Kilavuka’s departure followed six years of service at the helm of the airline.
“Allan Kilavuka will be exiting the Company as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer as he proceeds on terminal leave ahead of the expiry of his contractual tenure,” the airline stated in its notice.
Also Read: Ruto and His CS’s Make Appointments to Fill Vacant Posts
The Board and management expressed gratitude for his leadership and service, wishing him success in his future endeavours.
To ensure continuity, the Board appointed Captain George Kamal, the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, as Acting Group Managing Director and CEO effective December 16, 2025.
“The Board has appointed Captain George Kamal, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), as Acting GMD/CEO effective 16 December 2025,” Kenya Airways said in part of its statement.
The Board said it will initiate a competitive recruitment process to appoint a substantive successor.
Kenya Airways Posts Ksh12.15 Billion Loss
Kenya Airways (KQ) has returned to the red after posting a loss of Ksh 12.15 billion after tax for the first half of 2025, a sharp reversal from the Ksh 513 million profit recorded in the same period in 2024.
This represents a net margin of negative 16.3 per cent, compared to a modest 0.6 per cent profit margin last year.
The airline’s total income for the six months ending June 2025 fell to Ksh 74.5 billion, down from Ksh 91.5 billion in June 2024, reflecting a drop in revenue amid challenging operating conditions.
Total operating costs decreased slightly to Ksh 80.7 billion, down from Ksh 90.2 billion, representing a year-on-year reduction of about Ksh 9.45 billion.
Despite this reduction, the airline recorded an operating loss of Ksh 6.24 billion, compared to an operating profit of Ksh 1.3 billion in H1 2024.
This translated to a negative operating margin of 8.4 per cent, down from 1.4 per cent last year.
KQ’s Debt Crisis and Push For Privatization
Kenya Airways faces a deepening debt crisis, with liabilities of Sh309.9 billion exceeding assets of Sh180.3 billion as of June 2025, creating negative equity of Sh129.5 billion.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced on Wednesday, February 12, that an expression of interest would be floated imminently to attract foreign capital of between Sh154.8bn ($1.2bn) and Sh258bn ($2bn), with the government prepared to sweeten the deal by bundling additional assets alongside the financially crippled airline.
The move comes as Kenya Airways teeters on the edge of insolvency, with liabilities of Sh309.9bn dwarfing assets of just Sh180.3bn as of June 2025, producing a negative equity position of Sh129.5bn that has worsened from Sh118.2bn just six months earlier. The carrier’s balance sheet deterioration underscores the urgency of Nairobi’s search for a white knight investor capable of reversing years of mismanagement and undercapitalisation.
“The new investor is expected to inject a minimum of $1.2bn and up to $2bn into the business,” Mbadi told reporters, adding that the government had already absorbed Sh63.1bn of the airline’s debt, which would be converted to equity once a strategic partner was secured.
“This is not about a partner who merely injects money, but one who can run a successful airline,” he added.
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