Diaspora University Town will have about 500 small medium enterprises (SMEs) open as the town grows to reach 10,000 persons. The SMEs categorized into three as follows: SMEs that anchor the university town settlement; the SMEs that support the anchor SMEs and the Town development, operational and management; and, the SMEs that meet the daily needs of the residents, students and visitors of the town.
The anchor SMEs are Diaspora University that will progress to reach a yearly budget of Kshs 5 billion as the university grows to 10,000 students; the Diaspora University Medical Hospital that will reach a budget of Kshs 5 billion as it meets the town residents, students, visitors and other Kenyans medical needs; and, Daktari Biotechnology Medicine and Vaccine Plant that will progressively grow to reach a Kshs 20 billion sales revenue of medicine and vaccines to Diaspora University medical hospital, 47 counties and Africa market.
The second category of SMEs that will support the anchor SMEs, and develop the town include the design-build SMEs. These SMEs will design, build and sustain the buildings and roads infrastructure network of the town. The SMEs also include the material production companies that will manufacture and supply building materials, hospital supplies, equipment, furniture and other manufactured supplies. Environmental management, finance and other services SMEs that will support jobs creation and sustain the environment are also in this category.
Ndara B Company that is opening the production of 18 building products to supply Diaspora University Town is one of the SMEs in the support category that is already started. Another is the DUT Credit Ltd that is implementing the finance plan of DUT.
The third category of SMEs are the residents, students and visitor’s daily needs SMEs. The SMEs will include basic schools, consumer goods retail outlets; vehicle sales and repairs; petrol stations; clothing shops; professional services and other products and services.
To get the town to sustain at the right levels that lead to attaining the healthcare, housing, environmental, clean water, and other rights of residents the planning of the SMEs has to be perfect. A hospital cannot contribute to the highest standards if it does not have medicines and vaccines available as needed.
Similarly, to sustain a hospital there is need to have quality supplies. Diaspora University Town looks to have manufacturing plants open at the Diaspora University Town that produce at least 50% of the medical supplies that are currently imported.
(Dan Kamau, formerly of Worcester, MA, is the Diaspora University Trust – Executive Trustee www.dut.or.ke and a Director in DUT Credit Ltd www.dutcredit.co.ke. Dan can be reached via Email dan@dut.or.ke)
