By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, June 30 2026 - The Board of Airtel Networks Kenya Limited has appointed Djibril Tobe as the new Managing Director of Airtel Kenya.
In a statement on Tuesday, the company confirmed that Tobe will succeed Ashish Malhotra, who takes up a new role as the Chief Executive Officer of Indus Towers Africa.
With over 20 years of experience across various sectors, including telecommunications, fast-moving consumer goods, and consulting sectors, the board is optimistic that Tobe will bring valuable contributions to the company.
Before this appointment, Tobe served as the Managing Director of Airtel Congo B since May 2023. His previous roles within the group included heading Airtel Chad as Managing Director as well as serving as Commercial Director at Airtel Burkina Faso.
He previously also served as Chief Executive Officer at Expresso Guinea before leading business units at Ernst & Young and at Coca-Cola.
“We welcome Djibril to his role, and we are confident that his expertise will steer Airtel Kenya to the next level as we continue delivering innovative and relevant solutions. We would like to commend Ashish for his immense contribution to Airtel Kenya’s growth journey, and we wish him success in his new role,” the board said in a statement.
Lauding Malhotra’s leadership during his four-year tenure, the board noted that he played a key role in elevating the company into one of the country’s fastest-growing telecommunications firms.
It said he oversaw the largest network rollout in the company’s history, with more than 2,000 sites deployed, driving significant progress in digital and financial inclusion.
Among notable innovations and digital solutions he spearheaded are the rollout of 5G services, eSIM technology, fiber connectivity solutions, Spam Alert services, and the largest rollout of the Home & Office Smart Connect broadband platform.
“The Board of Directors further expressed confidence that Djibril Tobe will lead Airtel Kenya into its next phase of growth, innovation, and customer-centric transformation, building on the strong momentum established over the past years,” Airtel stated.
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