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Uganda gives Aga Khan its highest honour

Saturday October 21 2017
karim

President Yoweri Museveni honours His Highness the Aga Khan with the Most Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa at Uganda’s 55th Independence day celebrations on October 9, 2017. PHOTO | NMG

By JULIUS BARIGABA

On October 9, the Uganda government bestowed upon His Highness Prince Karim al Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the Most Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa — the country’s highest award conferred on civilians — in recognition of the contribution of the institution of the Imamat to the lives of Ugandans.

This is part of the citation that the National Medals chairman Gen Elly Tumwine read out just before the Aga Khan was decorated at the 55th Independence Anniversary at Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality Grounds, in western Uganda.

But more than that, the honour was in appreciation that even when it was easier to close up shop and walk away, the Aga Khan rode the wave of uncertainty and kept faith in Uganda’s potential. He set up investments in uncharted waters through the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (Akfed).

Some of these projects were in electricity generation — the Bujagali hydropower project and the West Nile Rural Electrification Company Ltd (Wenreco). The Aviation company Air Uganda was also launched in 2007, flying out of Entebbe to destinations around the East African region, filling a gap in the sector.  

Ventures

When the 250MW Bujagali hydropower dam was commissioned in 2012, it marked an end to a period of power outages in Uganda that had started in the early 2000s, and at one point had knocked two percentage points off the country’s economic growth.

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Bujagali and Wenreco, another electricity generation company in the north, have supported small-scale and large industries in manufacturing.

Ventures in the energy sector joined an already established array of other Aga Khan affiliated companies in the hospitality (Serena Hotels), media (Nation Media Group), banking (Diamond Trust Bank), insurance (Jubilee Insurance), aviation (Air Uganda), education (Aga Khan schools) and health (Aga Khan hospitals, the upcoming university teaching hospital, and Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd) sectors, marking the Imamat’s ever growing foothold in Uganda’s economy.

READ: $19.5m Aga Khan hospitals upgrade

Spiritual head

The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of some 25 million members of the Shia Ismaili community scattered around the world, with a marked presence in Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi, where the AKDN also has economic and social enterprises.

READ: Aga Khan feted for service to humanity

ALSO READ: Aga Khan marks 60 years of faith and improved lives

Prince Karim al Hussani (the current Aga Khan) inherited the title from his grandfather Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in 1957, aged 20, with his coronation in Kampala, Uganda.

Uganda suffered political turmoil in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1972, former president Idi Amin Dada expelled a large number of Ismaili community members from the country. After this, Uganda saw less social and economic investment from the AKDN, which invested in other countries that were politically stable.

In recent decades, the AKDN has made a return to Uganda. The Aga Khan was keen to increase investments in the health, education, hotels, aviation and energy sectors.

Uganda is one of the recognised homes of the Ismaili community around the world, complete with a fully fledged diplomatic mission.

The Aga Khan has worked with the leadership of the country to start similar or even bigger projects than those in Kenya and Tanzania.

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