Hawkins Wambua
Kenyan aerospace engineer Hawkins Wambua has spent two decades proving that innovation can take off from Nairobi as confidently as anywhere else on the planet. Armed with a master’s in aeronautical engineering from Russia’s Ufa State Aviation Technical University, he began as a technical instructor at the East African School of Aviation before joining Kenya Airways, where he rose from propulsion engineering manager to head of engineering services and modernised the carrier’s maintenance protocols. In February 2022 he was tapped to run Fahari Aviation, Kenya Airways’ drone and advanced-air-mobility subsidiary, and quickly turned it into a regional bellwether: his teams now fly crop-health surveillance missions that save farmers up to 20 percent in input costs, pilot last-mile medical deliveries to remote clinics, and test e-VTOL platforms aimed at decongesting city roads.
Wambua’s playbook blends rigorous safety culture with agile prototyping, a mix that recently earned Fahari the first Kenyan approvals for beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone operations. He mentors engineering graduates through the Kenya Association of Manufacturers’ tech fellowship and sits on the task force drafting East Africa’s unified unmanned-aircraft regulations. Next, he plans to scale drone logistics corridors across the Northern Corridor trade route and launch a training academy for pan-African air-mobility operators, proof that Africa’s skies are ready for a smarter, greener future.