Sammy Kanyi, the former CEO of Directline Assurance, found himself in the front line of a bruising shareholder war that ultimately cost him a job.
He has since moved to Kenya Orient Insurance in the same capacity.
Tasked with running one of Kenya’s main vehicle insurers, Mr Kanyi became entangled in a power struggle with the company’s owners as a dominant shareholder moved to assert control over others.
He was forced to fight claims that the company had been shut, staff dismissed and operations halted – allegations he repeatedly had to counter by assuring customers and the regulator that Directline remained operational.
The ownership wrangle, which found its way to court, eventually led to a sudden end to his turbulent tenure at Directline.
Hardly three months after exiting Directline, Mr Kanyi has been named CEO of rival insurance company, Kenya Orient.
Mr Kanyi’s exit came after businessman Samuel Kamau (SK) Macharia – one of the major shareholders at Directline – forced the executives out against a court injunction in September 2025. He had been CEO for close to two years.
The swift comeback through Kenya Orient marks a fresh chapter that hands Mr Kanyi the immediate task of growing the company's market share from the current under one percent.
Mr Kanyi found himself in the unenviable position of managing an insurance firm whose owners had, for several years, been locked in a fight for control.
What should have been a straightforward executive role turned into a crisis management job as endless boardroom battles spilled into the public domain.
From waking up to reports of shareholders shutting down the company and dismissing staff, to reassuring anxious customers that the insurer was still operating, Mr Kanyi was thrust unwillingly into the role of institutional stabiliser.
However, attempting to stabilise the company without appearing to take sides would prove impossible. He was entangled in a fight that was not of his making.
In 2024, for instance, Mr Macharia – who has a major stake in Directline through Royal Credit Limited – ran media adverts, warning that any insurance cover issued by the company was “invalid due to illegal alteration of the share registry”.
When the businessman and his entourage stormed Directline offices and announced the dismissal of executives, Mr Kanyi had no option but to respond.
“We have reported the matter to police and the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA),” he said.
Unfortunately, the power struggles had ultimately claimed him, pointing to the risks executives face when shareholder disputes override governance structures.
Earlier in 2024, Mr Macharia had secretly withdrawn Sh400 million from the insurer, wired it to his real estate company and announced that Directline had shut. It took the intervention of IRA through the courts to reverse the money.
The row disrupted Mr Kanyi’s strategy at Directline and spooked customers. By March last year, Africa Merchant Assurance (Amaco) – which is partly owned by President William Ruto's family and associates – had overtaken Directline to become the top public service vehicle insurer in the country.
From one Kenyan-owned insurer, Mr Kanyi finds himself in another. He becomes the CEO and principal officer of Kenya Orient, where Mr Evans Mwongela has been serving as the acting managing director.
Mr Kanyi’s entry at Kenya Orient presents a chance to deepen his contribution in insurance sector, having served with the likes of Saham Assurance, Old Mutual, Heritage Insurance and Alexander Forbes in senior roles since 2007.
The IRA data to June 2025 shows Kenya Orient Insurance – a general insurer – held a market share of 0.51 per cent in the short-term insurance business, while Kenya Orient Life Assurance held 0.66 per cent in the long-term business.
This contrasts with Directline, which had a market share of 0.97 percent in short-term business but commanded a 38.4 percent share in its specialty of motor commercial PSV.
Mr Kanyi’s appointment as CEO marks Kenya Orient’s first major permanent leadership hire in years, offering hope for stability and strategic direction for the company that wants to grow its market share.
Kenya Orient was incorporated by Al Fateem Group of Dubai in 1982 and acquired by Kenyans in 1988. The current company was formed in 2004 after an ownership transfer.
Entrepreneur Titus Kiondo Muya, popularly known as TK, founded Kenya Orient Insurance Limited in 2004 and currently serves as a director.
Previously, he served as chairman of the company until 2011. Mr Muya founded Family Bank in 1984 and served as the bank’s chief executive officer until June 2006.
He also owns Daykio Plantations, a real estate firm.
