A 10-year-old Nairobi boy who dreams of designing aircraft and running his own airline has been appointed Kenya’s Child Aviation Ambassador by the Principal Secretary for Aviation, Teresia Mbaika.
Elias Muthomi Gitonga met the PS alongside his father, Moses Gitonga, his mother and younger sister, and the meeting left Mbaika visibly impressed.
The boy spoke confidently about aircraft design, maintenance, and the components of a plane, knowledge that caught the senior government official off guard, given the boy’s age.
A Boy Whose Passion Defies His Age
Elias is currently home-schooled after finding it difficult to thrive within the conventional classroom structure. Yet his self-directed learning appears to have unlocked something remarkable.
He told the PS of his ambition to one day not only design and manufacture aircraft but also to establish his own airline, for which he is already in the process of reserving a name.
Mbaika said she was happy to encounter a child with such command of a highly technical field.
“It’s a great pleasure to meet a champion of aviation who understands almost everything in aviation,” she said, describing him as “quite a gifted child.”
She added that the ministry saw real value in Elias reaching other young Kenyans who remain unaware of the wide range of opportunities available in the aviation sector.
“From today, Elias becomes our ambassador in the aviation sector, and we are ready to hold your hands to meet you with the right people,” she said.
Mentorship and the Road Ahead
The PS committed to exploring a possible shadow mentorship arrangement with national carrier Kenya Airways and indicated that the ministry would support Elias in connecting with the right institutions and individuals within government and industry.
Speaking to Newsunplug.co.ke, Elias’s father said the boy credits every opportunity and achievement to his faith. “Elias credits all the progress and favours to his Saviour, Jesus Christ, and it will go a long way,” Moses Gitonga said.
Elias himself has already begun encouraging other children to consider careers in aviation, naming Kenya Airways, Emirates, British Airways and Qatar Airways as proof of the sector’s scale and possibility. He urged young Kenyans not to wait and to start preparing now for roles in an industry that needs the next generation of innovators.
