Kenya, Ismaili Imamat sign MoU on health, education after Ruto-Aga Khan meeting

Kenya and the Ismaili Imamat on Tuesday signed a new Memorandum of Understanding on General Cooperation towards partnerships in healthcare, education, and climate action.

This came after President William Ruto hosted His Highness Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, at State House in Nairobi.

The Aga Khan was on his first official visit to Kenya since assuming leadership.

Ruto hailed the agreement as a “major milestone” in the longstanding partnership between Kenya and the Ismaili community, saying they would advance shared goals under his government’s agenda.

“It laid the groundwork for even deeper collaboration in healthcare, education, environmental conservation, climate action, and cultural preservation,” he added

The President further conferred on Prince Rahim the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (C.G.H.), Kenya’s highest civilian honour, while Princess Zahra Aga Khan received the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H.) for her contributions to social development.

Ruto cited the Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) wide-ranging contributions, noting its hospitals and health centres serve 900,000 patients annually, its education programmes support nearly 1,000 schools, and its environmental initiatives have planted 1.5 million trees in Kenya over three years.

AKDN comprises private, international, and non-denominational agencies working to improve the quality of life in different regions of Asia and Africa, with agencies such as Aga Khan Academies, Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan Health Services (which owns Aga Khan Hospitals) and Aga Khan University.

Similarly, Ruto highlighted new areas of cooperation, including the Affordable Housing programme and the Nairobi River regeneration project.

He paid tribute to the late Aga Khan IV, who died in February, and expressed confidence that Prince Rahim would build on his father’s six-decade-long legacy in Kenya since independence.

“The signing of these agreements affirms Kenya’s deep appreciation of the enduring legacy of the Ismaili Imamat,” Ruto said. “We look forward to opening new frontiers of cooperation that uplift lives and safeguard our future.”

His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV died on February 4 in Lisbon, Portugal, aged 88.

He was regarded as a direct descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, given nearly divine status as the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam.