Ruto reveals details of phone conversation with Prince Rahim Aga Khan V
President William Ruto has revealed the details of his phone conversation with Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the son of the late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan V ascended to become the 50th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, who traced his lineage directly to the Prophet Muhammad, following the death of his father.
“I had a telephone engagement with His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V. I conveyed the condolences of the Government and the people of Kenya following the passing on of his father, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. I congratulated him for his accession as the 50th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Community and pledged to continue working together in the areas of education, health, environment, among others,” Ruto stated on Wednesday, February 12, 2024.
Prince Karim Aga Khan’s death
The Aga Khan’s charity the Aga Khan Development Network announced that he died on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88.
Prince Karim Aga Khan was the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, who traced his lineage directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
He “passed away peacefully” in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family, his charity said in a statement on social media.
Born in Switzerland, he had British citizenship and lived in a chateau in France.
The Ismailis, a Muslim sect, have a worldwide population of about 15 million, including 500,000 in Pakistan. There are also large populations in India, Afghanistan and Africa.
Prince Karim Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather as imam of the Ismaili Muslims in 1957 at the age of 20.
