Habil Anyanzwa Waswani is a Kenyan corporate lawyer and governance professional whose career has spanned banking, insurance and aviation.
After more than five years serving in senior legal and company-secretarial roles at Kenya Airways, he is set to take on the airline’s top executive position as Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Habil Waswani Education Qualifications
Waswani studied at Mang’u High School from 1991, where he completed his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) with an A grade in 1994.
He then joined the University of Nairobi, pursuing a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from 1996 to 2000, graduating with Second Class Honors (Upper Division). His academic focus included banking, corporate, finance, and securities law.
Waswani later expanded his training into business leadership and management. Between 2010 and 2011, he undertook a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) through United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in collaboration with Columbia Business School. His studies focused on leadership, strategy, corporate finance, and entrepreneurship, and he graduated with Honors.
His professional memberships include the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya, and the Institute of Directors of Kenya.
Career Across Banking, Insurance and Aviation
Waswani began his professional legal career through pupillage at Iseme Kamau & Maema Advocates (IKM) in Nairobi, where he worked from January 2001 to July 2002. During the period, he gained practical experience in commercial law, conveyancing, intellectual property and litigation, while developing skills in legal research, drafting and court representation.
He then joined Kiplagat & Company Advocates as an Associate Attorney in July 2002 and worked there until January 2003. His responsibilities included handling commercial transactions and preparing legal documentation and agreements for government agencies, State-owned enterprises, banks and insurance companies. He also advised clients on commercial law, intellectual property, conveyancing and litigation.
From January 2003 to January 2004, Waswani worked at Mohamed Madhani & Co Advocates in Nairobi. His work involved managing commercial transactions and preparing commercial agreements for institutions including banks and insurance companies. He also handled legal research, drafting, litigation, and advisory work covering commercial and criminal law matters.
He transitioned from private practice to corporate law in January 2004, joining Diamond Trust Bank Kenya as Head of Legal and Company Secretary. He spent five years at the bank until July 2009.
In August 2009, Waswani moved to the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation, where he served as General Manager, Legal and Company Secretary until July 2013. At Kenya Re, his responsibilities included legal advisory services, corporate and commercial law, insurance law, regulatory compliance, litigation, dispute resolution, and claims management. He also oversaw the company secretariat, including Board and shareholder matters.
Waswani joined National Bank of Kenya (NBK) in August 2013 as Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary, a position he held until October 2020.
At NBK, he served as the bank’s chief legal counsel and corporate-governance lead. His responsibilities covered banking and finance law, corporate and commercial law, recoveries, conveyancing, securitization, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
One of the major transactions associated with his tenure was the 2019 takeover of National Bank of Kenya by KCB Group. Waswani led the legal team and managed the legal and governance aspects of the transaction.
Kenya Airways Role
Waswani joined Kenya Airways in March 2021, taking up the position of Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance. He has overseen the airline’s legal, risk, compliance and corporate-governance functions, including legal matters relating to aviation and airline operations, employment, litigation and disputes.
His company-secretarial responsibilities include supporting Board and shareholder operations, governance, administration and regulatory compliance.
As the managing director and CEO, he is responsible for:
- Guiding the airline through recovery plans to improve operational reliability and cut losses
- Overseeing day-to-day business functions, staff, and airline performance
- Making key decisions on flight routes, destinations, and aircraft management
- Finding and securing suitable strategic investors for the airline
- Reporting the progress, risks, and financial updates directly to the board of directors
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