Airtel Kenya has appointed Djibril Tobe as its new Managing Director, taking over from Ashish Malhotra, who has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Indus Towers Africa after serving at the helm of the Kenyan business for four years.
The appointment, announced by the Board of Airtel Networks Kenya Limited, ushers in a new chapter for the telecommunications firm as it seeks to build on recent growth in its network, subscriber base and digital financial services.
Tobe brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning the telecommunications, fast-moving consumer goods and consulting sectors across several African markets. He joins Airtel Kenya from Airtel Congo B, where he has served as Managing Director since May 2023.
His career within the Airtel Group also includes stints as Managing Director of Airtel Chad and Commercial Director at Airtel Burkina Faso. Before joining Airtel, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Expresso Guinea and held leadership positions at Ernst & Young and Coca-Cola.
The Board said Tobe’s experience in driving business transformation and commercial growth across Africa positions him well to lead Airtel Kenya through its next phase of expansion.
He succeeds Malhotra, whose tenure was marked by significant growth for the telecommunications operator. Under his leadership, Airtel Kenya undertook the largest network expansion in the company’s history, rolling out more than 2,000 network sites to enhance connectivity and support greater digital and financial inclusion.
During the four-year period, Airtel Money’s market share grew from 2 per cent to 11 per cent, while the company’s subscriber base increased from 16 million to more than 24 million customers. Airtel Kenya also doubled its revenues over the same period.
Malhotra also oversaw the introduction of several customer-focused innovations, including 5G services, eSIM technology, fibre connectivity solutions, Spam Alert services and the rollout of the Home & Office Smart Connect broadband platform.
In a statement, the Board thanked Malhotra for his contribution to the company’s growth and expressed confidence in Tobe’s ability to sustain the momentum.
“We welcome Djibril Tobe to his role and 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 wish him success in his new role,” the Board said.
The Board added that it expects Tobe to lead Airtel Kenya’s next phase of growth, innovation and customer-centric transformation, building on the progress achieved over the past several years.
Also Read: Ruto government loses Sh16 billion in rush to sell Safaricom stake
