Lawyer Adil Arshed Khawaja elected new Safaricom Board Chairman

Advocate Adil Arshed Khawaja has been elected the new Board Chairman of telecommunications giant Safaricom, with immediate effect.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa, in a press release on Thursday, said Mr. Khawaja was selected during a board meeting held on the same day.

“Adil is a distinguished Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 30 years' experience in the legal profession,” wrote Mr. Ndegwa.

“In recognition of his contribution towards environmental conservation and sustainability, Adil was recently awarded the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) by the President of the Republic of Kenya.”

Mr. Khawaja currently serves as the Managing Partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews law firm, which was established in 1902.

He also presently sits on various boards, among them; Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, Al Futtaim Automotive - CMC Motors Group Limited, and Atua Enkop Africa Limited.

“I take this opportunity to welcome Adil and wish him all the best as the Chairman of Safaricom PLC. I also look forward to working with Adil and the entire Board of Directors as we continue to transform lives and delivering for our customers, colleagues, community and company,” added Mr. Ndegwa.

Mr. Khawaja, who was appointed Safaricom director in December last year, steps in to replace former Board Chairman and director John Ngumi who stepped down from the position early this year, barely five months after his appointment.

The telecommunications, at the time, attributed Mr. Ngumi’s resignation to a new role in the development of green energy across the continent.