Edward Wambui paid a visit to Diaspora University Town (DUT) as he worked on his Metal Fabrication Plant MSME opening. Edward has been in the business of metal products both in Kenya and the U.S. He is looking to produce and supply diverse metal products to the DUT project and Kenya market.
In the DUT design – build plan, he is eyeing to produce and supply building products that include: roof trusses, guard rails, fences, metal frames doors, ceiling framing products, staircases and other products. The estimate is that his MSME can produce products of about Ksh 300 million of the Ksh 38.s billion 5 year design-build budget.
Dan Kamau the DUT project director who is formerly of Worcester, MA was happy to receive Edward at DUT for the second time in 2024. He paid a visit in March 2024.
Updating Edward, Dan explained the financial system he is currently pursuing for the property. He said that the current target is the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC) system that finances completed residential houses. He informed Edward that this is similar to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the U.S. The two U.S mortgage refinance companies today hold mortgage assets of over Ksh 7 trillion.
Dan informed Edward that at the close of 2023 financial year, KMRC had Ksh 40 billion available for mortgages and only Ksh 9 billion was applied. He said that we need to fast track the creation of jobs and building of houses and have this money as houses. He thanked Edward for his commitment to advance the development of Kenya and to create jobs. Edward and Dan agreed that the metal fabrication company be open in 2025 and start production.
Edward said he is ready to do anything to fast track jobs creation by producing the products of building. The temporary place the structure will be erected was identified. The structure building will commence in January or February. Edward said that once he gets back to the U.S, he will start the process of shipping the machinery that he has already bought for application in production of products for the Kenya market.
Having read the recent story of the DEVKI Company in Taita Taveta, Edward visited the Devki Plant in Samburu, Kwale County as he started preparing his raw materials suppliers plan. He was joined there by Ronald Mwangombe of DUT Materials and Dan.
The team learnt the products produced. Dan and Robert asked Edward to explore bringing other technologies so the production of as many metal products can be done at DUT and at the Ndara B Community industrial site. Edward stated that there are several products that can be produced from the raw materials from Devki, Samburu. He said nails, screws and other products that are applied in building and road construction can be produced.
Dan asked Edward on returning to the U.S to pass the message to Diaspora Kenyans to bring back industries. He said if we get 1,000 more Diaspora to join us and 100 MSMEs we will build towns, houses and roads that Kenyans will live in as Kenya population grows to 100 million.
Dan said the DUT system incorporates Diaspora University Design, Engineering and Construction education; the Ndara B Community MSMEs and DUT MSMEs for Building materials that Edward is now part of setting; and, the social economic GDP growth system. He said this system will in the next 50 years build Kenya and Africa and deliver property of over $100 billion.
