Kenya Airways Acting Group Managing Director and CEO George Kamal has resigned less than nine months after taking the top job, with the airline naming Habil Waswani to replace him on an interim basis.
Kamal stepped down for personal reasons and will remain with Kenya Airways for a 30-day transition period before formally leaving the airline on September 30, 2026.
Waswani, currently Kenya Airways’ Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services and Regulatory Compliance, will become Acting Group Managing Director and CEO effective September 15.
The airline’s board has already begun a competitive recruitment process to select a permanent replacement.
Kamal took over as acting CEO on December 16, 2025, following the departure of Allan Kilavuka. He previously spent three years as Kenya Airways’ Chief Operating Officer and helped oversee efforts to stabilize the carrier’s operations.
“Captain Kamal served with commitment, dedication, honor and diligence,” Kenya Airways said in announcing his resignation.
His departure comes as Kenya Airways continues a turnaround effort aimed at improving operational reliability, strengthening its finances and expanding its network and fleet.
Kamal had been publicly outlining those plans as recently as August. During an editor’s roundtable in Nairobi on August 19, he discussed the airline’s strategy as it worked to improve its financial and operational performance.
Waswani has worked at Kenya Airways for five years and has 24 years of experience in corporate and commercial law. His responsibilities at the airline have included aviation, commercial, corporate and regulatory legal matters.
Before joining Kenya Airways, he held senior positions in the banking and insurance industries. He holds a law degree from the University of Nairobi and a Global Executive MBA from United States International University in collaboration with Columbia Business School.