Kampala, Uganda, 6 October 2017 — His Highness the Aga Khan is due to arrive in Uganda on Sunday 8 October, ahead of Uganda’s 55th Independence Day Celebration.
This visit is part of a series of visits that coincide with the Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee which began earlier this year on 11 July. The Diamond Jubilee marks 60 years of his Imamat as the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community. The Aga Khan became the Imam on 11th July, 1957 at the age of 20 years, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan.
His Highness the Aga Khan is the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) – a global network dedicated to improving the quality of life of all people that has made substantive contributions towards the development of Uganda. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has a long history in Uganda. Working in education, healthcare, economic development and civil society, programmes supported by the government and other partners, these have in some cases been active in the country for more than a century.
The Aga Khan is traveling to Uganda upon the invitation of His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and will be attending the Independence Day celebration in Busheyni as a guest of the state.
The Aga Khan will also meet with members of the Shia Ismaili Community in Uganda as part of his itinerary.
About the Aga Khan Development Network
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, is a private, international, non-denominational development organization. It employs over 80,000 people in over 30 countries. Its agencies address complex development issues, including the provision of quality healthcare and education services, cultural and economic revitalisation, micro-enterprise, entrepreneurship and economic development, the advancement of civil society and the protection of the environment. For more information on AKDN, please visit: www.akdn.org
The Aga Khan and the Shia Ismaili Muslim Community
The Aga Khan is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter. He succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan as the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims sixty years ago, at the age of 20.
Today, His Highness the Aga Khan leads a global community of some 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, living predominantly in South Asia, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and the Far East. Like the Muslim world as a whole, the Ismaili community represents a rich diversity of cultures, languages, and nationalities. His role as Imam includes the interpretation of the faith for his community and responsibility for religious institutions and his followers worldwide.
