Naikuni named chairman of Airtel Kenya board

 
Bharti Airtel has appointed former Kenya Airways chief executive Titus Naikuni as the chairman of Airtel Kenya’s board of directors.

The position has been vacant for the last six months after the retirement of billionaire Naushad Merali, who had served the firm for 15 years.

Mr Naikuni also chairs the board of Rift Valley Railways and sits on the top organs at Magadi Soda Company Ltd (deputy Chairman), Maersk Kenya Ltd, Access Kenya Ltd, East Africa Portland Cement Company and Precision Air Tanzania.

READ: Naikuni to chair Rift Valley Railways board.

He joins Airtel Kenya’s board at a time when competition in telecommunication industry is expected to heighten with the licensing of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and the smaller telcos have found it difficult to shake the dominance of Safaricom since India’s Bharti Airtel bought Zain in 2010.

“We are pleased to have Dr Naikuni on the board,” Airtel Africa CEO Christian de Faria said in a statement. “His wealth of experience will add immense value… and provide strategic guidance to our operations in Kenya.”

Mr Naikuni, holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nairobi. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Management Development Programme.

Meanwhile, Nairobi lawyer Donald Kipkorir has formally joined the board of Centum Investments as an independent non-executive director.