East African Business Week (Kampala)
20 August 2007
Kampala
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of nine development
agencies working in health, education, culture and rural and economic
development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, central and south Asia
and the Middle East.
The agencies are: Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan Education Services,
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and Agha Khan Health Services.
Others are Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, Aga Khan Trust for
Culture, Aga Khan University of Central Asia and Aga Khan Agency for
Microfinance.
While it has a presence in 35 countries, over the past decade, AKDN
has been expanding its investments in Uganda. So far Kenya has the
lion’s share of AKDN activities in East Africa.
In Uganda, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) supports a couple of
projects, which include the Enhancing Universal Primary Education in
Communities (EUPEC), Young Development Professionals Programme (YDP).
Others are Uganda Community Based Early Childhood Education Project
(Madrasa Resource Centre Uganda), International Scholarship Programme
and Civil Society Enhancement – Support to CIVICUS study.
The AKDN education arm has under it the Aga Khan University Advanced
Nursing Studies Programme and the Aga Khan Education Services in Old
Kampala.
The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), the economic arm
of the AKDN has several initiatives and projects in Uganda including
the Jubilee Insurance Company, Uganda.
Still under AKFED, you will find the Industrial Promotion Services
(IPS). A number of companies form part of the IPS portfolio including
Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries (KPI) and Leather Industries of Uganda.
Others are Uganda Fishnet Manufacturers Limited, West Nile Rural
Electrification Company (WENRECo) and the proposed 250MW Bujagali
Hydro-electric power plant, which is the latest under the AKDN umbrella.
Under AKFED still, you will find Diamond Trust Bank, Tourism Promotion
Services (Kampala Serena Hotel) and the Nation Media Group.
Ismailimail 