Sammy Kanyi has resurfaced in the insurance sector as the new CEO of Kenya Orient Insurance, marking a fresh chapter after his abrupt departure from Directline Assurance amid ownership wrangles.
Mr Kanyi, who had served as the Directline chief executive for about two years, exited in September 2025 after businessman and a key shareholder in the matatu insurer Samuel Kamau Macharia ignored the regulator and a court order to dismiss the entire management team.
He now becomes the new CEO and principal officer of Kenya Orient where Evans Mwongela has been serving as the acting managing director.
Mr Kanyi announced the shift via the LinkedIn platform.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer at Kenya Orient Insurance Limited!” he wrote on Tuesday.
His entry at Kenya Orient deepens his contribution in the insurance sector, having served the likes of Saham Assurance, Old Mutual, Heritage Insurance and Alexforbes in senior roles since 2007.
Last September, Mr Macharia stormed Directline’s offices in Nairobi and fired senior management, including Mr Kanyi and the head of finance. Mr Kanyi had served Directline as acting CEO for nine months before he was confirmed.
Mr Kanyi’s ejection from Directline directly contravened the 2024 High Court injunction that had barred Mr Macharia from accessing the company’s premises, terminating or hiring any staff or conducting financial transactions without shareholder or board approval.
Mr Macharia, who insists he controls Directline through Royal Credit Limited, illegally appointed new executives in defiance of the injunction. He named Wilson Wambugu Maina as acting CEO, Stella Kinoti as chief finance officer with Elizabeth Kuria as her deputy and James Mari as ICT manager.
Kenya Orient was incorporated in 1982 by the Al Fateem Group of Dubai and later acquired by Kenyans in 1988. The current company was formed in 2004 after a transfer of ownership from the previous proprietors to its current owners.
The Insurance Regulatory Authority data to June 2025 shows Kenya Orient Insurance, a general insurer, held a market share of 0.51 percent in the short-term insurance business while its sister company Kenya Orient Life Assurance held 0.66 percent in the long-term business.
The insurance industry has witnessed several changes in the top executives over the past two years, mainly triggered by headhunting within the industry as well as the banking sector.
For instance, Sanlam Allianz Life Insurance Kenya in June 2025 appointed Jacqueline Karasha as the new CEO following the Sanlam-Allianz merger and rebrand.
AAR Insurance Kenya appointed Justine Kosgei as the new CEO in 2024, succeeding Patrick Gatonga who joined Equity Group.
In the same year, Catherine Karimi was appointed the ICEA Lion Life Assurance CEO while Godfrey Kioi was picked to head ICEA Lion General Insurance. The two came from APA Life and Heritage insurance, respectively, where they were CEOs.
During the same 2024, Heritage Insurance Kenya appointed Rosalyn Mugoh as the new CEO while Jubilee Life Insurance picked Asman Mugambi Ibrahim as the new CEO.
