AGA KHAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO GENOCIDE VICTIMS IN KIGALI

Aga Khan pays
tribute to
Genocide victims
in Kigali
Mahmoud Jan Muhammad, The Managing Director of
the Serena Group of Hotels in Africa told journalists that
Prince Aga Khan was in Rwanda on an entirely private
business trip which coincided with the commemoration
week.
“We were here on some other business and obviously
we are here during the Genocide memorial week with
our Chairman His Highness Aga Khan. We felt it was an
opportunity for him to visit the Genocide memorial and
pay respect to the victims,” Mahmoud said.
He added that visiting the memorial “is a very moving
experience and I think what the government has done to
put up this memorial is an excellent initiative, which is for
all of us to learn lessons from the past. I hope and pray
that no country will ever experience anything like this.”
Mahmoud said that during his visit to Rwanda, The Aga
Khan looked into available business opportunities in
Rwanda.
He said that Aga Khan firms have a number of investment
openings they have on books already to invest in but are
also open to other availed opportunities.
“This is just a site visit, but we regularly visit various
government institutions including RDB and a number of
key departments for business discussions.
Asked about what he thought about their investments
in Rwanda, Mahmoud said, “We are happy with our
investments so far. And we are always looking at available
business openings. We have some initiatives on the
books and we are always looking for new opportunities.” He added that, “With excellent collaboration from the
government that continues to encourage investors to look
into a number of investment opportunities, we will grow
—we are not a company that is just going to stop—and
Rwanda has tremendous potential.”
Mahmoud said that, other board members of the Aga
Khan Fund for Economic Development were here with
their Chairman, The Aga Khan as they continue to look
at the opportunities available for investment in various
sectors in Rwanda.
“I am sure he will have dialogue with my other colleagues
in infrastructure, industries, health and education sectors,”
he added. By Athan Tashobya
The Chairman of the Aga Khan group of
Companies, Amyn Aga Khan, visited Kigali Genocide
memorial on Wednesday to commemorate Genocide
victims buried at the site.
The memorial is home to about 250,000 victims of the
1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The Aga Khan, who was in the country on a two-day
private visit, took time to join the staff of Kigali Serena Hotel
to pay respect to Genocide victims. According to Denise
Omany, the country sales and marketing manager at
Serena,
“The Aga Khan arrived in the country on Tuesday evening
for a two day private site visit to a few of his company’s
investments in Rwanda, and he was scheduled to leave
the country yesterday evening”.
The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development
(AKFED) is a conglomerate of various firms, which have
enterprises in media, tourism and hospitality, education,
health, infrastructure, and industries.
The Aga Khan owns Kigali Serena Hotel and Kivu Serena
Hotel, plus Nation Media-Rwanda, which oversees KFM
and The East African.
Shortly after the genocide memorial tour, Prince Aga
Khan, called for an end to genocide atrocities around the
world.
“These events must never be repeated anywhere else
again,” Aga Khan wrote in the visitors’ book at Kigali
Genocide memorial.
Aga Khan pays
tribute to Genocide
victims in Kigali
IN Pictures