President Kibaki has praised the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for its role in transforming the lives of millions of people.
The President singled out the Coastal Rural Support programmes as one of the many projects under the AKDN that has transformed thousands of acres of initially unproductive land into agriculturally productive areas.
Speaking at State House Nairobi when he held talks with the Aga Khan - the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims - President Kibaki said the project had benefited thousands of farmers in several districts with harsh climate at the Coast.
The President told farmers to process their produce and add value so as to reap maximum benefits.
He lauded the AKDN for its role in provision of education and health services.
The Aga Khan said Kenya had achieved tremendous development strides due to an enabling environment.
And Kenya will soon transform into a world-class centre to treat cancer and heart diseases. This follows the inauguration of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi at an estimated cost of $250 million to stretch over the next 15 years.
Aga Khan becomes the first private university in Eastern Africa to create a fully-fledged faculty of Health Sciences offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in medicine, nursing and allied health sciences.
Inaugurating the facility in Nairobi, the Aga Khan said the faculty would educate future generations of professional leaders in the practice of medicine.
"Emphasising both teaching and research, it will be accompanied by a major expansion of the Aga Khan University Hospital here, including a new heart and cancer centre scheduled to begin construction this year," said Aga Khan.
Aga Khan, who is in the country to inaugurate projects coordinated by the Aga Khan Development Network, said the institution would admit 1,000 students and 175 faculty members.