Classic 105 presenter Maina Kageni /HANDOUT
For nearly two decades, Classic 105 presenter Maina Kageni watched Kiprono Kittony guide Radio Africa Group from the boardroom, quietly influencing the direction of one of Kenya’s leading media houses without ever seeking the spotlight.
As Kiprono steps down as chairman of Radio Africa Group to take on the chairmanship of Kenya Airways, Maina says he is leaving behind a legacy built on discipline, vision and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Speaking to the Star, Maina described Kiprono as a leader he had admired long before they worked together.
“I knew my chairman way before I joined Radio Africa. Even then, he had already built a reputation as an astute businessman. He was someone people respected because of the way he approached business and leadership,” he says.
Although Kiprono rarely involved himself in the company’s day-to-day operations, Maina says his influence was evident in many of the strategic decisions that transformed Radio Africa into one of the country’s most influential multimedia organisations.
“My chairman is not the kind you could see interfere with management. I have limited knowledge of his involvement in the day-to-day running of the business, but I could always see his hand in some of the major decisions that shaped the company over the years.”
For Maina, however, one of Kiprono’s defining qualities is one that many Kenyans may never have seen. “People know him as a businessman, but what many probably don’t know is just how much he loves and respects his mother,” he says.
His mother, Hon Zipporah Kittony, is among Kenya’s most distinguished business leaders and champions of women’s economic empowerment.
Over the decades, she has been recognised for advancing women in enterprise, promoting trade and contributing to national economic development, becoming one of the country’s most respected voices in business and public service. Maina believes those family values helped shape the man Kiprono would become.
“That respect for family, especially for his mother, tells you a lot about his character. Success hasn’t changed who he is.” Asked to describe Kiprono in just a few words, Maina barely pauses. “A go-getter. An achiever. A success.” He says those three qualities have defined every venture Kittony has undertaken. “That’s simply who he is. He has very high expectations of himself and that shows in everything he does. He doesn’t settle for average.”
It is that track record, Maina says, that gives him confidence that Kiprono is the right person to chair Kenya Airways at a time when the national carrier is pursuing growth and sustained profitability. “He has already demonstrated what good leadership looks like.”
Maina points to Kiprono’s tenure at the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he championed private sector growth and strengthened the voice of Kenyan businesses.
More recently, he says, Kiprono oversaw a remarkable revival at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, helping restore investor confidence as the market rebounded into bullish territory after a prolonged downturn.
“Those achievements didn’t happen by chance. They came from strong leadership, consistency and believing that things can always be better.”
As one chapter closes at Radio Africa Group, Maina believes another is just beginning for the outgoing chairman. “I want to wish him nothing but the very best. His leadership here has touched many lives, whether employees, listeners, or readers who may never even realise the role he played behind the scenes.”
“He has served this country in many different capacities, and I believe he still has much more to offer. Kenya Airways is getting someone who understands leadership, understands people and understands how to build successful institutions.”
