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Speech by His Highness The Aga Khan V upon being honoured by the Government of Kenya with the title of Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (CGH) by President Ruto.

Nairobi, Kenya

August 26, 2025

Bismillah-ir-Raheman-ir-Rahim

Your Excellency President Ruto, Honorable Ministers, your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests.

Let me say first how grateful I am to your Excellency President Ruto for your warm hospitality and kind courtesies extended to me on my first visit to East Africa since my ascension to the Ismaili Imamat earlier this year. Kenya has always held a very special place in the hearts of my family. Some of the earliest Aga Khan Development projects from the time of my late great-grandfather were launched in this country and many of these are still operating.

His Highness Aga Khan IV, my late father spent his early childhood in Nairobi and like my uncle Amyn who also spent his childhood here, my father always cherished memories of this beautiful country and its wonderful people.

My two sons and I greatly enjoyed our visits here and we look forward to many more in the years ahead.

For over a century, members of the Ismaili community have called this country home. They have contributed to Kenya’s progress and drawn inspiration from its spirit of unity and diversity.

It is against this backdrop that I am profoundly honoured to be named Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart. I am deeply grateful to you President Ruto for this award and for this warm welcome

This recognition carries added significance for me because my late father was also named a chief of the order of the golden heart by President
Kabaki during his golden jubilee.

I therefore accept this great honor with deep humility and gratitude. It's a privilege to be here today among the leaders of a nation with which the Ismail Imamat shares a long friendship, profound respect and deepening partnership.

Through the work of the Aga Khan Development Network, whether in health, education, culture, economic development, or the environment, our aim has always been to improve the quality of life for all, regardless of background or faith.

We are proud that our programs and institutions serve millions of Kenyans from all walks of life across the spectrum of human endeavor.

In Kenya, we have found a government and a society that have consistently welcomed these efforts and supported them with vision and resolve.

The memoranda of understanding we are signing today build upon this rich legacy of engagement. They reflect the depth of the relationship between the Ismaili Imamat and the Republic of Kenya and they signal a shared ambition to make that relationship even more impactful.

Our goal is to work alongside the government as you tackle the emerging challenges of climate change, urban regeneration, and delivery of public
services.

Our approach will be to ensure that our programs are meaningfully aligned with Kenya's national priorities and the bottom-up economic transformation
agenda.

As in the past, we will continue to mobilize not only our own institutional capacity and resources, but also those of our international partners and
investors for Kenya's benefit.

Kenya has shown commendable leadership in confronting climate challenges. The Ismaili Imamat shares the sense of urgency and importance you attach to these threats and I am committed to ensuring that our institutions support your efforts to create new knowledge and new solutions for environmental
stewardship.

We see promising opportunities for collaboration in areas such as coastal regeneration and climate research where our institutions are prepared to
dedicate increased resources in pursuit of our shared goals.

In closing, let me once again thank you, your excellency, for your warm hospitality and the honour that you've conferred on me today.

I accept this declaration as a recognition of the past, but also as a pledge for the future. A pledge to continue walking side by side with the people of Kenya in
the pursuit of a more inclusive, equitable, and hopeful tomorrow.

I thank you most sincerely, Asante Sana.