Who is Adil Arshed Khawaja? Meet Safaricom Board’s new sheriff

Adil Arshed Khawaja, who was on Thursday elected the new Board Chairman of Safaricom, has had quite the illustrious career, yet somehow still managed to remain relatively mysterious.

Mr. Khawaja, an advocate by profession, was only in December appointed as a Safaricom director, and now rises to the highly powerful position of Board Chairman – replacing industry titan John Ngumi, who stepped down after just five months at the helm of the telco.

But just who exactly is Mr. Khawaja, the new sheriff at Safaricom? How did he get to where he is? And just what exactly are some of the flashy achievements he’s hiding in his closet?

Citizen Digital went digging around and found out a few interesting things, including the fact that besides being one of Kenya’s most sought after lawyers, he is a huge four-wheel drive enthusiast.

Mr. Khawaja is the current Managing Partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews which was established in 1902, and where he – according to the law firm’s website - reportedly advises investors, high net worth individuals, companies, as well as the government of Kenya.

He has over 30 years experience in the legal profession, with his work ranging from dispute resolution to commercial to real estate, and has been globally recognized by – among them – U.K legal research firm Legalease Ltd in its annual publication ‘The Legal 500.’

The High Court advocate is also heavily involved in the wildlife and environmental conservation space, hence he serves as an executive member of the Nairobi Arboretum Conservancy Community Forest Association, and was previously a director on the National Environment Council.

His contribution to the sector recently got the notice of the President who awarded him the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS).

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

He previously served as a director of KCB Bank Group from 2012 before being elected the first Chairman of KCB Bank Kenya Limited in 2016 and served until his tenure ended in 2020.

Mr. Khawaja, similarly, also served as a director in the board of Kenya Power & Lighting Company and as a Trustee of the Kenya Wildlife Service.

“His love for the law and environmental conservation, led him to be appointed by the Government of Kenya as a member of the Taskforce to inquire into Forest Resource,” his bio on the Safaricom website states.

“An avid enthusiast of four-wheel driving he has combined his love for the thrill with conservation and has been a participant in the Rhino Charge for nearly 20 years and amongst the top fund raisers for the Rhino Ark, where he has been a Trustee from 2018 to date.”