Captain Irene Koki Mutungi (Commonly referred to as Koki Mutungi) is a professional pilot in Kenya. She undertook her studies with Kenya School of Flying for her Private Pilots License and undertook her Commercial Pilots License and other ratings at Crabtree Aviation, Oklahoma, USA. She. Is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Aviation Safety management.
Her career started with Kenya Airways the National Carrier of Kenya where she rose through the ranks to the current position of Captain of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
She is a lady of many firsts
She was employee 001 Female Pilot at Kenya Airways and was the only female for the airline for close to 6 years when she was hired in 1995. In 2004 she became the first African Woman to qualify to command a Boeing 737 and led Africas’ first all female crew on a flight the same year. She was the first female on the African Continent to become certified as a Captain of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
In 2014 she was named among “The 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa” by Forbes Magazine. She has received numerous awards , among them Business Daily’s “ Top 40 under 40 “ for 5 consecutive years , Women4Africa Award (UK) in 2014 , Akwaaba – Africa Travel Award ( Nigeria ) 2009 and 2017 amongst others. She was also featured on CNN International as a “Change Maker” in 2020.
Koki is a well rounded Pilot with a wealth of experience from both the private and public sector spanning over 20 years. She has been successful in mentoring young ladies and positively impacting the female population, especially in Kenya, who have repeatedly cited her as their reason for becoming Pilots.
Captain Koki Mutungi is a certified pilot who sits on various boards. Tapping into her experiences and industry insights, she has previously spoken at several national and international forums. Her passion on Aviation and Mentoring is evident and her presentations have largely revolved around these issues.
She also has an interest in mentoring and coaching young upcoming Aviation professionals and in her free time participating in mentoring sessions with various schools and colleges. Her vision is to start a foundation to mentor and later fund training especially for the less privileged boys and girls helping them reach for the stars by going for what they believe in. Koki enjoys reading, writing, gardening and spending time with her family. She is a mother of two boys.
- 2022 Awarded The Aviators African Towers Award and inducted to the hall of fame
- 2024 featured in Forbes magazine’s prestigious list of ‘Trailblazers leading change in their third and fourth decades’. The recognition comes as she marks a significant milestone in her career with her appointment as the Assistant Chief Pilot at Kenya Airways.