Kenya Airways is expected to disclose details of potential new investors within weeks as the loss-making carrier seeks fresh capital to reduce debt pressure, restore grounded aircraft and finance its turnaround plan.
“We have received interest from local and international investors who will inject both capital and other resources into KQ,” Chairman Kiprono Kittony told reporters on Tuesday.
The planned announcement comes as the airline faces soaring fuel costs, aircraft maintenance delays and a shortage of spare parts, which have constrained its capacity despite strong passenger demand.
Kenya Airways reported a pre-tax loss of 15.92 billion shillings ($123 million) in the first half of 2026, up from a loss of 12.17 billion shillings during the same period last year.
Kittony said the airline was attracting interest from investors in the United States, China, South Africa and Singapore. However, he stressed that the process would be transparent because Kenya Airways is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
He added that the carrier was seeking both a capital-raising partner and a strategic partner from the aviation industry as part of its restructuring plan.
A key element of the plan will involve cleaning up the airline’s balance sheet, including the possible conversion of debt owed to the Kenyan government and a consortium of local banks into equity.
The Kenyan government, the airline’s largest shareholder, is also keen to retain significant control of the national carrier. “It is a strategic imperative that Kenya does not lose significant equity control of the carrier in order for us not to lose the national carrier status,” Kittony said.
The search for new investors will therefore be a crucial test of Kenya Airways’ turnaround strategy, as the carrier seeks fresh capital without sacrificing national control of one of East Africa’s most important airlines.
