Captain John Guy Kiniti, Kenya’s first African commercial pilot and a key figure in the founding of Kenya Airways, has died at the age of 88.
His family confirmed that he passed away on October 4, 2025, after a short illness.
“It is with deep sorrow and humble acceptance of God’s will that we announce the passing on to glory of Captain John Guy Kiniti (formerly of Kenya Airways and the first Kenyan African Pilot),” the family said in a statement.
Born in Kiambu County, Kiniti began his aviation career with the now-defunct East African Airways (EAA), where he became one of the few African pilots qualified to fly commercial jets, including the Douglas DC-9.
His moment of historic significance came in early 1977, as the East African Community collapsed and EAA neared bankruptcy.
Amid rising political tensions, Captain Kiniti played a decisive role in saving key aircraft for Kenya.
On a January morning in 1977, while stationed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanian authorities impounded EAA planes to block their transfer to Kenya.
Seizing the moment, Kiniti devised a bold plan: under the pretext of transferring fuel, he secretly prepared three aircraft for departure.
As most airport officials were distracted by a major football match, Kiniti and two fellow pilots took off for Nairobi.
Ignoring orders from Dar es Salaam air traffic control, he switched off his radio, diverted over the Indian Ocean, and safely landed the aircraft in Nairobi.
These planes a DC-9 and two Fokker 27s became the founding fleet of Kenya Airways, which was officially launched just weeks later, on January 22, 1977.
The airline made its maiden flight on February 4 of the same year.
Captain Kiniti served Kenya Airways from its inception until his retirement in December 2015, a nearly 40-year career marked by professionalism, mentorship, and patriotism.
He trained and inspired a new generation of Kenyan pilots, earning deep respect in the aviation community.
He is survived by his wife, Halima Sulehka Kiniti, and children: Capt.
Judy Wanjiku, Lee Nyachae, Isaac Kigondu (Kissinger), Dorothy Wanjiku, Juliet Wangari, Mohammed Isaac, Naomi Wanjiku, and Amina Lucky.
He was the son of the late Naomi Wanjiku Kiniti of Banana Hills, Kiambu County, and was raised alongside five siblings.
Captain John Kiniti will be laid to rest at Lang’ata Cemetery, Nairobi, on Friday, October 10, 2025. His legacy continues to soar through the airline he helped build and the many aviators he mentored.
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