Nov 20 – Leading regional airline Jambojet has appointed Ayisi Makatiani, E.B.S., as Chairman of the Board, effective 17 November 2025. He takes over from Vincent Rague, who steps down after serving in the role since December 2014.
Mr Makatiani, a seasoned governance leader and MIT-trained electrical and electronics engineer, is the CEO and Co-founder of Caava Group and Executive Chairman of Turnkey Africa. He has previously served on several boards, including Barclays Bank Kenya (now Absa Bank Kenya) and Kenya Airways PLC. During his tenure at Kenya Airways, he helped spearhead the establishment of Jambojet and served as its founding Chairman.
Jambojet CEO and Managing Director Karanja Ndegwa said Mr Makatiani’s return brings both entrepreneurial vision and a deep connection to the airline’s origins.
“His leadership will accelerate our next phase in expanding regional connectivity, elevating the customer experience, and strengthening our safety and reliability,” Mr Ndegwa said.
In his remarks, Mr Makatiani said the appointment marks both a personal milestone and a renewed commitment to strengthening regional aviation.
“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.”
The airline also paid tribute to outgoing Chairman Vincent Rague and non-executive director Caroline Armstrong for their years of service, which oversaw network expansion, strong passenger growth and a sustained 12 per cent annual growth rate. Under their leadership, Jambojet grew to command more than 50 per cent of Kenya’s domestic market and enabled over nine million passengers to access the convenience of air travel.
