Allan Kilavuka, who led Kenya Airways for six years, officially departed the airline after a farewell message on 16 December 2025 and entered terminal leave before retiring on 31 March 2026.

Since leaving the airline, Kilavuka has posted on Instagram standing amid a lush coffee plantation in Trans Nzoia, holding ripe red cherries harvested from the bushes.

The former CEO’s move reflects a broader trend of Kenyan executives investing retirement capital in commercial agriculture, particularly in the North Rift’s emerging coffee belt.

Trans Nzoia, traditionally known as Kenya’s maize belt, now hosts an estimated 8,000 acres of coffee and sugarcane as farmers pursue higher‑value crops.

Kilavuka has not disclosed the exact size of his farm or its production volumes, but his regular social‑media updates show a hands‑on approach, including videos of workers carefully harvesting cherries.

His transition follows a record‑setting tenure at Kenya Airways, where he oversaw restructuring under Project Kifaru and delivered a Ksh 5.4 billion after‑tax profit for 2024, the airline’s first profit in over a decade.

Reactions to the farm footage have been mixed, with some Kenyans praising his entrepreneurial spirit while others question his priorities and political affiliations.