Kenya Airways Plc (KQ) has announced the appointment of four distinguished professionals to its Board of Directors. The new members bring extensive experience in business leadership, economic policy, academia, and corporate governance at a critical time for the national carrier.
KQ’s Financial Highlights
The appointments come as the airline navigates significant operational headwinds. In its half-year 2025 financial results, KQ reported a net loss of KES 12.15 billion, a sharp reversal from the KES 513 million profit recorded in the same period of 2024. Furthermore, KQ’s revenue declined by 19% to KES 74.5 billion, which was primarily driven by the grounding of 33% of its wide-body fleet, which included three Boeing 787 and 8 Dreamliners, due to global spare parts shortages and engine availability issues. Meanwhile the companies total operating costs reduced by 10.48%. This reduced capacity severely impacted the companiy’s revenue, prompting the airline to issue a profit warning for the full year 2025.
Following a five-year suspension, the shares resumed trading in January 2025, and currently KQ’s stock has shown high volatility in early March 2026, as its share price went down by 10% over the four weeks prior to 4th March. Kenya airways share price was trading around KES 4.47 TO KES 4.51 in the first week of march, though this still represents a year-to-date gain of over 20% from its 2026 opening price of KES 3.53, buoyed by market excitement regarding strategic investor reports.
KQ Gets New Board Chair, Alongside 3 Appointments
From the recent appointments, Mr. Kiprono Kittony, will take up the role of Chairman and Independent Non-Executive Director. He currently serves as chairman of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and has co-founded several major organizations, including Radio Africa Group and Creditinfo CRB Kenya. His international experience includes serving as Vice Chairman of the World Chambers Federation in Paris.
Mr. Chris Diaz, will join the team as an Independent Non-Executive Director. With over 34 years of experience, he is Chairman of Adili Group and a director at Bidco Africa and ALN Africa. He has previously held influential roles in Kenya’s aviation sector and is the first African to receive the Global Marketing Leader of the Year award.
Additionally, Prof. Winnie Iminza Nyamute, has been appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Nairobi and serves on the boards of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and Family Bank Limited. She is a Fellow of ICPAK and brings over three decades of experience in finance and accounting.
Finally, Dr. David Ndii has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director. He currently chairs the President’s Council of Economic Advisors and has over 30 years of experience as an economist, including roles at the World Bank and as Chief Economist at Equity Bank. He is a Rhodes Scholar with advanced degrees from the University of Oxford.
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