Kenya Airways has announced a transition in its executive leadership following the departure of Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Capt. George Kamal.

Capt. Kamal, who served the airline for four years, is stepping down after guiding the carrier through a crucial operational period. During his tenure, he played a key role in stabilizing airline operations and steering the organization through its executive leadership transitions.

The Board has appointed Habil Waswani as the new Acting GMD/CEO, effective September 15, 2026. Waswani currently serves as the Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services at Kenya Airways, where he has worked for over five years.

A commercial legal practitioner with more than 24 years of multi-sectoral experience, Waswani has held senior corporate governance positions across top banking and insurance institutions. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) 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 (USIU) in collaboration with Columbia Business School. Additionally, he is a Certified Public Secretary, a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya, and the Institute of Directors of Kenya, and a recipient of the Legal 500 GC Powerlist East Africa Awards.

The airline confirmed that a competitive recruitment process is underway to select a substantive GMD/CEO, which is expected to conclude in the near term.

In a statement, Kenya Airways Chairman Kiprono Kittony reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to the airline’s long-term turnaround strategy.