Mr Nathif Jama Adam is a Kenyan banker, writer and politician. He previously served as a Senior Vice President and the Head of the Sharjah Islamic Bank's Investments & International Banking Division, and as the managing director of the First Community Bank. He also co-authored the first book on sukuk investments. In March 2013, Adam was elected Governor of Garissa County.
Personal life
Adam hails from the Auliyahan subdivision of the SomaliOgadenDarod clan. For his post-secondary studies, he attended the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Adam earned an MBA in International Trade from the institution. He also holds an Associateship of the UK Chartered Institute of Bankers. He is married to Amina Abdullahi.
Career
Banking
Adam is an authority on the global Islamic financial industry. He has over two decades of work experience in the Islamic banking, diversified retail, wholesale and investment sectors. He began his banking career with the Kenya Commercial Bank based in Nairobi. In 1985, Adam joined the Al Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation in Saudi Arabia. He subsequently worked as an Executive Manager for the Qatar Islamic Bank, where he oversaw QIB's sizable real estate, leasing, trade and securities foreign investment portfolios. In 2002, Adam joined the National Bank of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The bank was at the time in the midst of restructuring its services to focus on Islamic banking. Now known as the Sharjah Islamic Bank, Adam served as a Senior Vice President and the Head of its Investments & International Banking Division. Adam later became the founding managing director of the First Community Bank in Nairobi. He was also a member of its board of directors. Besides executive duties, Adam is an author, frequently writing on Islamic banking and financial issues. He co-wrote the first book on sukuk investments, Islamic Bonds: Your Issuing, Structuring and Investing in Sukuk, published in 2004. Additionally, Adam has served as a keynote speaker at various finance and Islamic banking conferences and seminars around the world. He also regularly undertakes training courses on different aspects of the industry.
Governorship
In 2013, Adam ran for Governor of Garissa County. He was elected to the position on 10 March on a Wiper Democratic Movement ticket. In February of the year, Adam also became a member of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy. The High Court later upheld his election victory in September 2013. In April 2014, acting on a petition by two plaintiffs citing voting irregularities, the Court of Appeal issued a directive nullifying the result. The Supreme Court overturned the decision the following month, directed the court registrar to prevent the county's assembly speaker from occupying Adam's seat, and barred the IEBC from declaring the governorship vacant until Adam's appeal was heard and ruled within a two-month period. On 9 July, the Supreme Court officially reinstated Adam as Governor of Garissa County.
