Nairobi — Airtel Kenya has appointed Senegalese executive Djibril Tobe as its new Managing Director (MD), succeeding Ashish Malhotra after four years at the helm.

In a statement, Airtel Networks Kenya said Tobe brings more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications, fast-moving consumer goods and consulting sectors across Africa.

Before his appointment, Tobe held the position of MD at Airtel Congo Brazzaville, served as MD of Airtel Chad, and was the Commercial Director for Airtel Burkina Faso, among other roles.

Tobe takes over from Malhotra, who oversaw a period of rapid growth for Airtel Kenya.

During his tenure, the company rolled out more than 2,000 network sites, the largest expansion in its history, while increasing Airtel Money's market share from 2 percent to 11 percent.

Airtel Kenya also doubled its revenue and expanded its subscriber base from 16 million to more than 24 million customers under his leadership.

Malhotra, who is taking a new role as the Chief Executive Officer of Indus Towers Africa, also led the rollout of several products and services, including 5G, eSIM technology, fibre connectivity, Spam Alert services and the Home & Office Smart Connect broadband platform.

"We welcome Djibril Tobe to his role and are confident that his expertise will steer Airtel Kenya to the next level as we continue delivering innovative and relevant solutions," the board said.