Two ideas that trace their origin around on the mind 2000's have progressed to become development plans. Konza City is a city development plan funded by the Kenyans through taxes for developing a city. Diaspora University Town (DUT) is a town development plan funded by Diaspora Kenyans, Ndara B Community and Partners. The two ongoing development plans are compared from origin to jobs creation.
Origin
Konza origin is from an idea of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). In the early 2000’s the ICT innovations would lead to U.S companies outsourcing services, mainly to India. An idea that Kenya could develop an ICT hub that 5,000 Kenyans could work from Kenya and offer the services to U.S companies would be floated.
DUT started based on the idea by two WPI professors, the late Prof. Raphael Njoroge and the Late Prof. Arthur Gerstenfeld. The two professors, after working in Namibia to transform a polytechnic to a university, started to explore opening a university in Africa based on the WPI plan. They would advance this idea through the WPI U.S-Africa business conferences they were organizing.
Development Plan
The Konza City idea was turned into a development plan in 2008 by the Ministry of ICT in Kenya. The development plan would start receiving funding from the taxpayers through the government yearly budgets.
The DUT development plan was achieved in 2009 through the integration of the university development plan and a housing development plan that was started by Diaspora Kenyans.
Resources Input & Funding
From 2008 – 2024, 17 yearly budgets of approximately Ksh 7 billion have so far been applied in plan conceptualisation and operations. The operation budget of 2022 was Ksh 489 million. Other budgets include: Land purchased at Ksh 1 billion in 2009. World Bank grant to look for a Master Development Partner in 2011. Property and roads funding is over Ksh 50 billion.
DUT resources put in include: intellect, thousands of time hours, direct cash input of about Ksh 350 million and land. These resources are reflected in the assets created as follows: Diaspora University Assets/endowment, Townhouse Developers assets, DUT Credit Ltd shares, Daktari Biotechnology Ltd Shares, Ndara B Community 28 Companies assets and other MSMEs.
Land
Konza development plan is for 5,000 acres of land.
DUT development plan is a 1,500 acres town development plan. A second plan that interlinks to DUT is the 4000 acres Ndara B building materials and food production plan. The total project plan is 5,500 acres.
Roads and Buildings Construction
Konza has started construction of roads and buildings. Through public funding, taxes and loans, work of about Ksh 50 billion is done and is reflected by completed buildings and work in progress of ICT building, constructed roads, ongoing construction of Data Center and other infrastructure construction.
DUT design-build plan of roads, infrastructure and building plan is budgeted at Ksh 44.5 billion. The amount will fund 4,000 buildings and 60km roads and infrastructure. The amount will be financed through Diaspora Kenyans capital input and the growth of Kenya banking finance currently growing at over Ksh 500 billion new banking deposits whose growth is driven by Diaspora Kenyans remittances.
Jobs Creation
Konza plan has created jobs through the development plan that is operational; the construction ongoing works; and, other jobs through MSMEs and Organizations setting up. These jobs will continue to grow especially after the Data Center and the University plans are fully operational.
DUT plan has created jobs through the development plan that is operational; DUT credit ltd financial plan; Daktari Biotechnology Ltd medicine and vaccines plan; Ndara B plans for building materials and farming; and, other MSMEs and organizations. The DUT plan will progress to create 15,000 jobs at DUT and another 5,000 jobs at Ndara B. The DUT job creation plan incorporates: Diaspora University education, hospital and research; Daktari Biotechnology Ltd. Medicine and Vaccine Plan, Ndara B Building Materials and farming Plan, DUT design-build system; DUT Credit Ltd as a Diaspora Kenyans financial institution; and, over 300 MSMEs and Organizations that Diaspora Kenyans and Kenyans will start.
