Nairobi — Safaricom board chairman John Ngumi has resigned from the role barely 6 months after his appointment in July last year.

According to a statement from the telco, Ngumi's resignation took effect on December 22 and a new Chairman will be elected in the coming weeks.

Ngumi leaves the Board to focus on developing green energy generation across Africa with an emphasis on green hydrogen.

"In the brief period following his appointment to the Board, John has provided a wealth of industry knowledge and vast expertise. He has steered the Company through a general election and supported the entrenchment of our purpose of transforming lives through our products and services as well as within the communities we serve," read a statement signed by Company Secretary Kathryne Maundu.

Maundu noted that John strongly supported and ensured the repositioning of the Fuliza product to better serve Kenyans.

"He was also an ardent enthusiast for Safaricom's entry into Ethiopia."

As part of the new board changes, Safaricom also announced the appointment of Adil Arshed Khawaja (MBS) as a Director in Safaricom PLC with effect from December 22.

The appointment which was approved by the Board of Directors on January 5, is subject to regulatory approval.

Khawaja is a highly distinguished Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 30 years work experience in the legal profession ranging from dispute resolution to commercial and real estate.

He currently serves as the Managing Partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews and holds board positions in various companies across various markets including 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 and was elected the first chairman of KCB Bank Konya Limited from 2016 until 2020 when his tenure ended.

He has also served as a director in the board of Kenya Power & Lighting Company and as a Trustee of the Kenya Wildlife Service.