What Kenya Airways teaches us about strategy during turbulent times

What you need to know:

Project Mawingu, launched in 2011, was one of the most ambitious corporate expansion plans ever undertaken by a Kenyan company.It aimed to transform KQ into Africa’s leading airline by more than doubling its destinations and tripling its fleet.

Can a company successfully pursue five different strategies within 15 years, or does constant reinvention signal a deeper organisational problem?

This question arose during a recent session of the Global CEO Programme at Strathmore University Business School, where executives discussed the case study: Kenya Airways Plc: From Project Mawingu to Project Kifaru – Strategy Reengineered or Redefined? The conversation quickly moved beyond aviation to a broader debate about leadership, resilience and strategic adaptation.

Between 2011 and 2025, Kenya Airways (KQ) rolled out five major strategic initiatives: Project Mawingu, Operation Pride, Project Safari, the Privately Initiated Investment Proposal (PIIP) and Project Kifaru. Few companies experience such profound strategic shifts in such a short period.