Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini Agha Khan IV, the 49th Imam of Nizari Ismailis is to be awarded the Honorary Citizenship of Kampala in recognition of the role of his foundation to the development of the city.
Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a country or a city on a foreign individual considered to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. In countries like Ireland, the title comes with full legal status including the right to reside and vote.
This will be the first time that KCCA is giving out such an award to a reputable figure, according to KCCA acting Director of Public and Corporate Affairs Peter Kauju. He says that the award will be received by the Aga Khan Foundation during celebrations to mark the 60 anniversary of Prince Karim Agha Khan’s ascension to the Ismaili Imamat throne.
The foundation’s engagement in Uganda spans more than 70 years. The foundations portfolio includes investments in businesses, education, media, health, hotels and power generation.
Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), the infrastructure and industrial development arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development owns the 250MW Bujagali Hydro power Plant constructed at a cost of USD 900 million. The Aga Khan foundation is also building a USD 100 million hospital in Nakawa division, Kampala.
The aim of the foundation, according to the Agha Khan website is to support sustainable development in Uganda with projects that have demonstrable, measurable outcomes in empowering individuals to improve their quality of life.
1 Comment
Subject: Breaking News: His Highness the Aga Khan to be awarded Honorary
Citizenship of Kampala, Uganda – Ismailimail
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/breaking-news-his-highness-the-
aga-khan-to-be-awarded-honorary-citizenship-of-kampala-uganda/
Nairobi to follow? Or how could they – they didn’t think of this first?!!
Wonderful news for not just Ismailis but all Uganda Asians everywhere. KCCA explicitly mention HH Aga Khan’s upcoming Diamond Jubilee, July 11, 2017. His Highness and his predecessors have contributed not just to Kampala’s development but Uganda’s, no less, in the education and medical fields by opening up the Ismaili schools and dispensaries to all sects and all races soon after Uganda’s independence. The Aga Khan Development Network is constructing a state-of-the art hospital in Nakawa, Kampala. HH Aga Khan has been one of the largest investors in Uganda for the last three decades. Uganda Asians thank HH for the role he played with his friend prime minister of Canada Pierre Elliot Trudeau in resettling thousands of Uganda Asians of all sects in Canada. HH’s uncle Prince Sadruddin played an equally important role as head of the UN High Commission for Refugees in rescuing 6000 or so stateless Asians at the last week of the expulsion deadline and taking them to five refugee centres in Europe. HH Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee will be the occasion for these roles to be recognized. We shall also remember with great feeling that the Uganda ceremony for his coronation (Takhtnashini) in 1957 was performed on the grounds of the Ismaili mosque on Namirembe Road when the planned site Nakivubo was denied by the Baganda government on grounds that only the Kabaka could be crowned on public land.