New Aga Khan envoy presents credentials to government
Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa (Left) with Resident Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network Amin Mawji (Centre) with his wife Gulnar Mawji in Kampala yesterday. Photo BY STEPHEN WANDERA
Kampala.
The newly appointed Resident Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network, Mr Amin Mawji OBE, on Monday presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sam Kutesa.
According to a press statement, Mr Mawji replaces Mr Mahmood Ahmed and will be based in Kampala.
Mr Mawji is a former senior partner at Ernst & Young, UK, and has served as a non-executive director on the UK government’s Trade and Industry Boar and the Board of UK Export Finance.
“His public service has included serving on the Audit and Finance committees of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Department for International Development (DfID),” reads the statement.
“In 2012, he was appointed an officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen,” the statement adds.
Mr Mawji has also served as President of His Highness the Aga Khan’s Council for the UK and on the national governance bodies of the Aga Khan Foundation, Focus Humanitarian Assistance and the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind.
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Mawji said: “It is my hope and prayer that, as the Resident Representative of the AKDN, now based here in Kampala, I will be able to reinforce further the ties of understanding and partnership between AKDN and the Republic of Uganda.”
He added that: “I am particularly excited to be here in Uganda to see once again its wonderful natural beauty and to meet the people of Uganda who make this such a special place in Africa. The AKDN has had a long engagement in Uganda, spanning over half a century.
“We remain committed to play our part in strengthening civil society and supporting Uganda’s development with continuing programmes in the areas of early childhood development, education, tourism, energy, industrial development, media, financial services and healthcare,” the statement reads.
Mr Kutesa welcomed the envoy and wished him well.
About the AKDN
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, is a private, international, non-denominational development organisation. The various institutions of the AKDN in Uganda invest in development initiatives that empower individuals to improve their quality of life and offer more sustainable, scalable solutions to poverty.
