Hi there, I'm Ed Butler and welcome to Business Daily Meets on the BBC World Service.

Today our show is devoted to Alan Kila Vuka.

He's the managing director and CEO of Kenya Airways, one of Africa's largest airlines.

We go on his journey to the top job via a surprising stint as a marriage guidance counselor.

I'm passionate about relationships, so I spent a lot of time understanding pre-marital situations.

I spent quite a number of years counselling people to get married.

Also today, we're discovering why Alan decided to join the national airline during its most

challenging period. It was daunting from very many perspectives, but some people think it was a poison

chariot. And how he transformed the struggling carrier into a thriving business.

This was a very elaborate effort, particularly the sacrifices we made at the beginning of COVID.

We prestoned it Project Kifaru.

That's Alan Kilevuka, the boss of Kenya Airways, here on Business Daily from the BBC.

Alan Killevuka's earliest memories are of growing up in Keriko in western Kenya,

surrounded by lush tea plantations.

My father worked in the tea estates, so I grew up among the tea bushes,

lush green plantations of tea.

And so to this date, actually, I love tea, love drinking tea.

That's one of my favorite things to do. But Alan would soon say goodbye to those lush green

surroundings when, as a young child, he was sent away to boarding school. It would test his

resilience and ultimately shape his future. I spent quite a lot of time.

Initially, didn't like it, especially during my primary years.

I didn't like it then because I was very young, actually, when I joined.

...