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Aerial views of on-going work at Bujagali Hydro-power Project. COURTESY PHOTOS

On August 21, 2007 President Yoweri Museveni and the Aga Khan, Prince Karim al-Hussaini, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, laid the foundation stone for the Bujagali hydropower dam on the River Nile in a show of commitment to address Uganda’s energy deficit.

The 250 MW project, co-financed by the World Bank Group, is a major component of Uganda’s answer to the electricity supply gap that in recent years has made rolling blackouts a daily reality for Uganda’s residents, businesses and services.

2008 October 1: A series of 4 new Golden Jubilee stamps have been issued for Idd last week in Uganda . Photos here!.

2007, July 20: 'His Highness the Aga Khan is celebrating 50 years on the throne. As part of the celebrations, we have decided to carry out several free malaria treatment clinics to benefit people who can't access medication,' Nazeem explained. [New Vision]

2007, August 19:The Aga Khan arrived at 10:25am aboard a private jet. Among the officials who turned up to receive him were Presidential Adviser Martin Aliker, the Aga Khan resident representative, Mahmood Ahmed and Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala. [New Vision]

2007, August 19:PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni and His Highness, The Aga Khan, are to flag off the construction works of the long-awaited Bujagali hydro power project in Jinja tomorrow.The duo will officiate at the ground-breaking ceremony of the 250 mega watts project expected to address the current power problems. [New Vision]

2007, August 24:A foundation stone that marked the beginnings of the $50 million project was laid yesterday in Munyonyo on the southern outskirts of Kampala by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan and Vice President Gilbert Bukenya. 'As students seek to enter the academies' programme, they will be judged on merit, not by their financial resources,' the Aga Khan said. [Press Release]

2007, August 22:The ceremony was attended by His Excellency the Vice President of Uganda, Professor Gilbert Bukenya, as well as other dignitaries, including the Minister of Education and Sports and heads of Uganda's preeminent universities and secondary schools. The Director General of the International Baccalaureate Organisation, Jeffrey Beard, was also present at the event. [Press Release] [Speech] [New Vision Online] [Photos] [More Photos]

2007, August 23:A foundation stone that marked the beginnings of the $50 million project was laid yesterday in Munyonyo on the southern outskirts of Kampala by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan and Vice President Gilbert Bukenya. 'As students seek to enter the academies' programme, they will be judged on merit, not by their financial resources,' the Aga Khan said. [The Monitor] [The Nation]

2007, August 12: His Highness the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, will launch the Bujagali hydropower project. This will be part of the celebrations to mark his 50 years of leadership this month. [New Vision Online]

2007, August 18:'His Highness The Aga Khan is due to arrive in Uganda this Sunday, August 19, at 10:30 a.m. till August 23 when he will finish his tour in East Africa,' Mr Mahmood Ahmed, the resident representative of The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), told journalists in Kampala yesterday. The East African tour is the first in a series that will take the Aga Khan to some 35 countries. [Monitor Online]

2007, August 19:The long-awaited building of the Bujagali hydro-power dam finally becomes a reality on Tuesday when the groundbreaking ceremonies take place.The Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, who is on a 12-day Golden Jubilee visit to East Africa, is to officiate at the inauguration ceremony as well as four other projects under the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). [The Nation]

2007, August 21:'The laying of this foundation stone is indeed an historic moment. The project we celebrate today is an unprecedented endeavour...it represents the largest single private sector investment of any sort in East Africa and the largest independent power project in sub-Saharan Africa.' [Speech] [News & Broadcast - Photos]

2007, August 17: The laying of foundation stones at the forthcoming Aga Khan Academy and the Bujagali project, both of which will be prominent Ugandan landmarks, will take place this year. [Daily Monitor]

The front view of the newly-launched Lake Victoria Serena Resort

THE Serena Group has set up a second hotel in the country, the Lake Victoria Serena Resort. The resort, which is part of the Aga Khan economic empire, lies on an expansive piece of land measuring 275 acres on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The land belonged to the Ranch on the Lake Hotel until about four years ago when Serena Group bought it and built a new hotel. The facility has so far cost $20m (about sh40b).

Another $30m (sh60b) is earmarked to complete the construction.

President Yoweri Museveni yesterday presided over the official opening.

Your Excellencies, Your Highnesses, Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen, My spiritual children

I thank you most warmly for your kind addresses. I shall never forget the wonderful welcome I have had in Kampala, not only from my own people, but from all other communities that live here.

His Excellency, Sir Frederic Crawford and Lady Crawford have been most kind and hospitable, and I am sincerely grateful to them.

Speaking at the official opening of new pounds 600,000 headquarters of Industrial Promotion Services Ltd. on Wednesday, the 24th February, Idi Amin paid tribute to His Highness the Aga Khan and Ismailia community which, he said had identified itself more closely with the African citizens of Uganda than any other non-African community.
Gen. Amin suggested that the Ismaili community take 'positive and active steps' to invest not only in office and commercial blocks but also in low-cost housing in the urban areas so that such houses could be let to their people at fair and reasonable rents.

His Highness accompanied by the Begum, arrived in Uganda on Monday, the 21st February and spent two days performing religious ceremonies in Jamatkhanas. He also officiated at several marriages. Mowlana Hazar Imam visited Nakulabye and Mengo Mosques.
The Begum, apart from visiting schools and other community institutions, took time off to some places of interests, including the Murchison Falls.

The Ministry of Education has licensed two more universities, bringing to 10 the number of private universities legally allowed to operate in the country.
Aga Khan University of Nursing and Kigezi International School of Medicine are the latest to be licensed.

The ministry's spokesman, Mr. Aggrey Kibenge, told The New Vision yesterday that Aga Khan University was licensed last month and will have Jinja Hospital as its campus while Kigezi International School of Medicine will use Kabale Hospital for clinical training.