BAT Kenya is preparing for its biggest management shake-up in years. On Tuesday, the company confirmed that both its chief executive and finance director will depart within the coming months as part of what the board described as long-term succession planning.
Crispin Achola, who has led the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed tobacco company since January 2021, will step down on June 15, 2026, and will be replaced by Sidney Wafula, the current finance director for BAT's Sub-Saharan Africa operations.
Separately, Finance Director Philemon Kipkemoi, who joined the company nearly two decades ago, will exit at the end of March, with Catherine Chepkong’a taking over from April 1, 2026.
Achola, who led the business through a period of regulatory pressure and market disruption, is leaving after presiding over consistent dividend payments and a stable share price.
Board chair Rita Kavashe praised his professionalism and substantial contribution but offered no explanation of the opportunities he intends to pursue outside the Group.
Kipkemoi, who has served as finance director since 2020, is leaving after 19 years with the company. The company said he is leaving to pursue career interests outside the company.
Kipkemoi’s successor, Chepkong’a, joined BAT in 2012 and has held finance roles in Uganda, East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and, most recently, the East and Southern Africa markets. She also serves as a trustee of the BAT Kenya Staff Provident Fund.
Wafula is a long-serving BAT insider who first joined the Kenyan operation in 2006. His career has taken him through Lagos, Cairo and Mozambique within the wider BAT Group.
BAT Kenya reported 17 per cent growth in net profit, to Sh5.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, and is set to pay record dividends of Sh70 per share (already paid interim dividend of Sh10 per share and final dividend of Sh60 per share).
Several NSE-listed firms have made executive changes over the past 12 months. Companies whose CEOs have departed include Kenya Airways, WPP Scangroup, Longhorn Publishers, Standard Group, Crown Paints, and Eveready East Africa. Stanchart Kenya’s CEO, Kariuki Ngari, is also set to leave the bank on April 16, 2026.
