MUPLA chairman Dr. Hassan Kinyua, Cultural counsellor Dr. Ali Pourmajan, Public Service Governance president Ambassador Esther Waringa and ambassador of Iran to Kenya Dr. Ali Gholampour engage during the 36th anniversary of the demise of Imam Khomeini who engineered Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution at the Cultural Council of the Embassy of Iran, Nairobi on May 31, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAIIranians living in Kenya on Saturday gathered at the Cultural Council of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Nairobi to commemorate 36 years since the passing of Imam Khomeini, the founding figure of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The event, themed “Religious Democracy from the Viewpoint of Imam Khomeini and Ayatullah Khamenei,” brought together diplomats, scholars, and members of the public for discussions on faith, leadership, and governance in the context of Islamic political philosophy.
Iran’s Ambassador to Kenya, Dr. Ali Gholampour, led the commemorative proceedings and delivered a keynote address celebrating Khomeini’s enduring influence as both a revolutionary leader and a spiritual philosopher.
“We have many leaders, but Imam Khomeini was exceptional,” Gholampour said.
“He worked for more than 55 years as a philosopher and jurist. When he assumed leadership in 1979, he was regarded as the greatest philosopher in the Islamic world—he was a unifier.”
Gholampour emphasized Khomeini’s role in rallying people across social and political divides against what he described as oppression and imperialism.
“He spoke from the heart, and people around the world listened,” he said.
“His ideas continue to resonate in Europe, Asia, and Africa—his soul remains alive globally.”
The event featured a distinguished panel of local and international speakers who shared insights on how Khomeini’s concept of religious democracy continues to shape socio-political thought in the Islamic Republic and beyond.
Among the notable guests was Ambassador Esther Waringa, President and CEO of Public Service Governance (PSG), who urged Kenyans to draw lessons from other governance models rooted in ethical and religious values.
“We need to move from a corrupted democracy to one that instills values,” Waringa said.
“Christianity can learn from Islam, and vice versa. Our systems can also learn from Hinduism and other religions. The goal is not to replace our faith, but to improve our values and leadership.”
She added that the country’s current political climate, marred by polarisation and inflammatory rhetoric, highlights the need for moral leadership and value-based governance.
Khomeini remains a pivotal figure in Iran’s history, credited with orchestrating the overthrow of the US-backed Shah regime in 1979 and establishing a theocratic state based on Islamic principles.
His death in 1989 marked the end of an era, but his legacy, supporters say, continues to inspire political thought and spiritual discipline worldwide.
