Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced a leadership transition following the resignation of Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Captain George Kamal.
In a statement, KQ said Kamal had resigned from the role due to personal reasons after serving in various senior leadership roles at the national carrier.
“The Board of Directors of Kenya Airways Plc (“KQ”) hereby announces the resignation of Capt. George Kamal as the Ag. Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for personal reasons.
“This follows his service at the airline’s executive leadership initially as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for a period of three (3) years, and subsequently, since 16th December 2025, as the Ag. Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until his resignation,” read the statement in part.
Kamal will remain at the airline for a 30-day transitional period before formally exiting the company on September 30, 2026.
The KQ board appointed Habil Waswani, the company’s Secretary and Director of Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance, as Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer effective September 15, 2026.
The airline also announced that it has already initiated the process to competitively recruit a substantive holder of the position, which is expected to be completed in the near term.
Waswani brings more than two decades of experience in corporate and commercial law and has worked at Kenya Airways for more than five years, where he has overseen aviation and airline-related legal matters, as well as commercial and corporate law.
Before joining Kenya Airways, Waswani served in senior roles in the banking and insurance sectors, with the airline describing him as an experienced corporate governance practitioner.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and is a Certified Public Secretary.
He also holds a Global Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the United States International University in collaboration with Columbia Business School, Columbia University in New York.
Waswani is a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya and the Institute of Directors of Kenya.
“The Board fully supports the appointment of Mr. Waswani as he takes over the organisation’s executive leadership during this interim period and wishes him well in the new role,” KQ added.
