Hamjambo, As salaam wa alaikum and good morning to all of you. 

It is always a joy to be in Nairobi, a place that I call home. Seeing so many familiar faces in the audience today makes this day of pride and possibility all the more special. Today, I am also very honored to extend a warm welcome to Prince Amyn Aga Khan. Prince Amyn, karibu sana. It is a privilege to have you with us.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, yesterday, we were very proud to witness His Excellency President Ruto honour our Pro-Chancellor, Princess Zahra, with one of Kenya’s highest distinctions—naming her an Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart. The award recognizes Princess Zahra’s exceptional contributions to Kenya’s development and public service. (Applause).  Princess Zahra thank you for all that you do for us. We want you to know how much we value your wise counsel, your engagement and your support.  

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you today: the graduating Class of 2025! 

Today is not just a convocation. It is much more than that –It is a turning point. Graduands, today you stand at a crucial crossroad—where learning transitions into responsibility, and preparation evolves into service. 

Today, we gather to celebrate 134 nurses, midwives, physicians, media professionals, and teachers who have reached this moment through discipline, sacrifice, and an unwavering sense of purpose. Graduands, today you join AKU’s global family of more than 22,000 alumni across 59 countries, and many of whom are leaders in their fields. 

Each of you knows what that journey required. Long hours wrestling with ideas and evidence. Late nights when persistence mattered more than inspiration. Time away from families. Distance from home. Doubt, fatigue, and moments of real testing. 

Yet within those trials were lasting moments—at a patient’s bedside, in a classroom, or in a bustling newsroom. Those moments shaped you, not just in what you know, but in who you are becoming. 

It was not easy. 

But it was definitely worth it. 

This brings us to the larger meaning of today’s convocation. 

We reflect not only on personal journeys, but on a generation stepping forward—one of the most well prepared and empowered generations in Kenya’s history. 

You are inclusive and collaborative. Digitally fluent. Comfortable with change. Enterprising in spirit. You see technology not as disruption, but as opportunity. 

At the same time, you are clear-eyed about the world you are entering. You see the realities of poverty and inequity, the persistent gaps in access to health care, the urgency of climate change — and you ask whether our systems are evolving quickly enough to meet a rapidly changing world. 

And most importantly, you want your voices heard. You want your work to matter. 

That is why today I am filled with optimism. 

Kenya’s future will not be shaped by policies and capital alone. It will be shaped by professionals like you—the Class of 2025—who embody integrity, competence, and humility in the vital work of serving the public good. 

This belief—that education carries responsibility—is at the heart of the Aga Khan University. 

Across Kenya, East Africa, and beyond, AKU’s mission is clear: to improve quality of life. And that is what we are doing, through our growing academic programmes, groundbreaking research, and steadfast service. 

Ladies and gentlemen, in the past five years, we have introduced 18 new degrees – eight of them right here in East Africa! – to prepare future leaders like the class of 2025. Here in Kenya, we have rolled out five new degrees and 11 specialty training programmes for physicians. In the process, we have grown our student body in Kenya by 40 percent.  

For AKU research, 2025 was a year of milestones. Twenty-seven of our faculty members were ranked among the top two percent of scientists globally and fifteen of them alumni of AKU. Last year alone, we published more than 1,800 studies in peer-reviewed journals. That, ladies and gentlemen is almost 5 studies a day! 

Our researchers are leveraging artificial intelligence to diagnose diseases, predict risk, and support physician decision-making. They are working with more than two dozen public hospitals in Kenya to improve care for newborn babies. And they are conducting one of the largest studies of aging in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Last year alone, our faculty secured more than $100 million in research funding—a new, all-time record for the University—from global leaders such as the European Research Council, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust, and the Gates Foundation. 

AKU is also acting decisively to reduce its carbon footprint and to help populations most affected by climate change adapt and build resilience. This year, we aim to reduce emissions across our campuses by nearly 3,000 tons. That’s the equivalent of taking 1,800 cars off the road.  

Of course, AKU is far from the only AKDN agency contributing to Kenya’s development. The University continues to work closely with the Aga Khan Health Services to build an integrated health system across East Africa. With five hospitals and 107 health care facilities across the region, the system provides care to nearly two million patients annually – including more than 900,000 here in Kenya. The opening of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Kampala in 2028 will expand this system further, making it truly region-wide for the first time. 

But as we know, none of this happens by chance. 

So, ladies and gentlemen let me pause to acknowledge those who quietly make this work possible. 

I am deeply grateful to our faculty—clinicians, scientists, and above all, teachers and mentors—who shape not merely students, but the thoughtful leaders of tomorrow. I also wish to recognise our exceptional staff. Through your commitment, you breathe life into the University’s mission every day. 

I would also like to thank the distinguished members of our Board of Trustees and University Council. Your leadership reflects the care and responsibility with which you guide AKU. I am equally grateful to the donors who have joined us. Many of you have travelled long distances to be with us today. Your generosity reflects a deep belief in education and health care as forces for good, and so much of what we celebrate today would not be possible without your continuing support.  

Above all, we express our profound gratitude to our Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, whose vision, guidance, continue to shape our work and give it meaning. In just a moment, we will have the honor of hearing a video message from His Highness for which we are grateful to him.  

Ladies and gentlemen, the work underway across AKU’s campuses and hospitals is already making a meaningful difference. The graduates before us will extend that impact further—and in ways we cannot yet imagine.  

Class of 2025:  let me end where I began—with responsibility. 

You leave here with knowledge. But more importantly, you leave with a calling. 

To choose purpose over ease. 

Service over self. 

And integrity over advantage. 

If you do that—consistently, quietly, and with courage—you will not only succeed. 

You will matter. 

Congratulations once again and thank you for your commitment to a brighter future.