Jambojet has announced the appointment of Ayisi Makatiani, as the new Chairperson of its Board of Directors, effective 17th November 2025.
Makatiani succeeds Mr. Vincent Rague, who steps down after a ten year tenure as Chairman, having served since December 2014.
Makatiani is a respected governance leader, a seasoned entrepreneur, and an MIT-trained electrical and electronics engineer. He currently serves as the CEO and Co-founder of Caava Group and Executive Chairman of Turnkey Africa.
Crucially, Makatiani played an instrumental role in the airline’s inception, serving as its founding Chairman while on the Kenya Airways PLC board. His prior board service also includes Barclays Bank Kenya (now Absa Bank Kenya).
“Ayisi brings a unique combination of entrepreneurial vision and a deep understanding of Jambojet’s founding story,” said Karanja Ndegwa, Jambojet CEO & Managing Director. “His leadership will be pivotal in accelerating our next phase, focusing on expanding regional connectivity, elevating the customer experience, and strengthening our safety and reliability.”
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Makatiani said: “Stepping into this role is both an honour and a great responsibility. Jambojet has transformed regional aviation over the past decade, and my goal is to build on that legacy by making travel even more affordable, reliable, and sustainable for our customers across East Africa. When I first got on the board, my goal was to start, and now, it is to scale.”
Jambojet also took the opportunity to honor Mr. Vincent Rague and non-executive director Ms. Caroline Armstrong for their decade of exceptional service.
Under their leadership, Jambojet achieved:
- Network Expansion and Strong Passenger Growth.
- A consistent 12% annual growth rate.
- Gaining over 50% share of Kenya’s domestic market.
- Enabling over 9 million passengers to access affordable air travel.