Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced the resignation of John Ngumi as its Independent Non-Executive Director and appointed James David Kabereri as his interim replacement.

Kenya Airways Board of Directors Chairman Michael Joseph made the announcement even as Ngumi is being investigated for allegedly reaping from the Sh6 billion Telkom Kenya sale.

However, Kabeberi’s appointment to replace the embattled investment banker will have to await approval by the national carrier’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) later in the year.

“The Board announces the resignation of Mr John Ngumi as an independent non-executive director of the company,” said Joseph in a statement released on Friday.

On June 10, 2019, the then Kenya Pipeline Company chairman was elected to join the KQ board after shaeholders endorsed him to replace retired Jason Kapkirwok at the 43rd AGM.

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This comes five months after Ngumi also resigned as the chairman and director of the Safaricom Board after serving in the position at the largest telcos for a mere five months.

This also comes three weeks after he moved to court to stop the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from indicting him.

“My departure is motivated by my belief that now the tough work of stabilising KQ is starting to bear fruit, it is the right time for others to come in and build on the transformational platform that the Board and Management of KQ has created,” Ngumi is reported to have indicated to the KQ board.

He is quoted to have added, “I remain a firm believer in KQ’s strategic and economic importance to Kenya, and I am confident that before long Kenyans will all recognise that KQ is worthy and deserving of the critical and invaluable support it has received, and continues receiving, from the Government.”

Ngumi was recently grilled by the National Assembly Finance and National Planning and Communication, Innovation and Information committees over the Telkom Kenya purchase.

He managed to obtain a court order stopping his arrest and prosecution for what he alleged as a plot by the Government to go after former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s closest allies.

Ngumi had told the joint Parliamentary committees in April that he was paid Sh415 million for the advice he gave to the National Treasury on the controversial sale of Telkom Kenya.

The state is said to have paid Sh6.09 billion to Helios Investors LLP via its Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Jamhuri Holdings Ltd (JHL), in August 2022 without parliamentary approval.