Kenyan President William Ruto on 26 Aug 2025 hosted His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V at State House in Nairobi and conferred on him the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart, the country’s highest civilian decoration. Ruto said the honour recognises the Shia Ismaili spiritual leader’s “distinguished and outstanding services to Kenya and humanity,” citing decades-long collaboration between the Aga Khan Development Network and successive Kenyan administrations. Accepting the insignia, Prince Rahim described the award as both acknowledgment of past cooperation and “a pledge for the future.” The late Aga Khan IV was an early investor in Kenya’s media, education and health sectors after the country’s independence, and his son has continued to expand those initiatives. During the visit, the two sides signed unspecified development project agreements aimed at deepening the network’s involvement in health, education and other social-impact programmes. Details of the initiatives were not immediately disclosed, but Ruto said the partnerships align with his government’s agenda to improve livelihoods and spur inclusive growth.