Rita Kavashe

IWA Team

November 10, 2026

Rita Kavashe
Chair of the Board/Managing Director, Isuzu East Africa

Rita Kavashe is the Chair of the Board and Managing Director of Isuzu East Africa Ltd (formerly General Motors East Africa, GMEA), the largest motor vehicle assembler in the region selling a wide range of Isuzu vehicles.

This is where her professional journey began in 1995. Over the past three decades, she has had the privilege of growing with the organisation, taking on various leadership roles that have shaped her career and perspective. In 2011, she became the first Kenyan to serve as Managing Director, and in 2017, she successfully led the company through a major transition to become Isuzu East Africa.

Prior to her current position, Rita held several key roles in sales and marketing organisations both in Kenya and South Africa, and participated in GM sponsored leadership programmes including the Harvard Business School Leadership Programme.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Moi University and an MBA from the University of Nairobi. Rita is a certified Executive Coach through the Academy of Executive Coaches (AoEC) UK, a passion that complements her leadership journey by helping others grow.

Beyond the corporate world, she has proudly contributed to public service, having served as Chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board, a member of the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Board, and on the board of the Privatisation Authority of Kenya amongst others. 

Currently, she serves on the boards of Safaricom Plc and BAT Kenya Plc (as Chairperson), both of which are listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. She is also an Advisory Council Member at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), a Board Member of the Palmhouse Foundation, and a Trustee of the University of Eldoret Endowment Trust.

In 2017, Rita was awarded a state honour, the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) for exemplary service to the country in her capacity as a business leader.