Adil Khawaja is a distinguished lawyer and businessman in Kenya, currently holding the position of chairman at Safaricom PLC and managing partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews.
This law firm, established in 1902, is recognized as the oldest in Kenya and boasts a team of highly skilled professionals.
With over 30 years of experience in the legal field, Khawaja is a prominent Advocate of the High Court, specializing in areas such as dispute resolution, commercial law, and real estate.
In addition to his legal career, Khawaja holds several board positions across diverse markets, including the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, Al Futtaim Automotive – CMC Motors Group Limited, and Atua Enkop Africa Limited.
He previously served as a director at KCB Bank Group from 2012 and was the inaugural chairman of KCB Bank Kenya Limited from 2016 until the conclusion of his term in 2020.
Furthermore, Khawaja has also been a director on the board of Kenya Power & Lighting Company.
In addition to his professional endeavors, he is actively engaged in wildlife and environmental conservation efforts.
Khawaja has served as a member of the Nairobi Arboretum Conservancy Community Forest Association, a trustee for Care for the Wild, and an advisor for Friends of Conservation.
He previously held the position of trustee for the Kenya Wildlife Service and was a board member of the National Environment Council.
His passion for law and environmental conservation prompted his appointment by the Government of Kenya to the Taskforce responsible for investigating Forest Resource Management and logging activities within the country.
Additionally, Khawaja has merged his passion for adventure with conservation efforts, participating in the Rhino Charge for nearly two decades and ranking among the top fundraisers for the Rhino Ark, where he has served as a trustee since 2018.
In acknowledgment of his significant contributions to the sustainability of the nation’s environment, he was recently honored with the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) by the President of the Republic of Kenya.
Links to Adani
Khawaja is closely linked to the Adani Group through his role as managing partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews, the law firm representing Adani in Kenya.
He is involved in several high-profile projects, including Adani’s bid for a 30-year lease of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and a Ksh 95 billion contract with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company for power infrastructure.
Khawaja’s position as chairman of Safaricom also connects him to these ventures, as Safaricom is part of a consortium involved in the Universal Health Coverage project linked to Adani.
