Livingstone Mghenyi the founder and Chairman of the Domestic Tourism Association and Mlilo Community Tours and Safaris has joined Diaspora University Town (DUT) to advance Taita Taveta tourism. The DUT tourism plan of 1 million U.S. tourist bed nights per year, combined with Livingstone’s diverse tourism products in Taita Taveta County will establish Taita Taveta tourism.
Dan Kamau, the DUT project director, was happy to welcome Livingstone at DUT during his visit. He informed Livingstone that he and others developed the 1 million tourist plan by considering the U.S. population market of 350 million and the U.S. GDP, which has grown to $30 trillion.
He informed Livingstone that he went on a game drive tour to Tsavo East Park last year while developing a Tsavo tourism product. He excitedly added that Livingstone would be able to establish superior tourism products through his immense knowledge and resources.
Livingstone, equally excited, stated that over the last 50 years he has gained vast knowledge of Kenya and developed diverse tourism products, including: Cave Exploration, Rock Climbing, Landscape Photography, Nature and Village walks, Camping Safaris, Adventure High Adrenalin, Agro-Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Picnics, Game Drives, Springs and Lakes tours, Bird watching, cycling and others. He agreed to establish over 30 tourism products in Taita Taveta and also in other counties.
As Livingstone spoke of Taita Taveta's beauty, Dan—who with Cathy Jackie of Baltimore, MD researched how Las Vegas City in Nevada, USA achieves about 45 million visitor bed nights annually, how Florida State in the USA achieves over 120 million tourists annually, and how Singapore has achieved a $30 billion tourism economy—said that applying Livingstone's products to systems that have worked in Las Vegas, Florida and Singapore means Taita Taveta can achieve a Ksh 30 billion tourism economy that creates over 10,000 jobs.
The two started the 2030 tourism goal of achieving the Ksh 30 billion tourism economy and 10,000 new jobs. The plans to achieve this include: opening the Diaspora University department of tourism to train young people on advancing and sustaining tourism; 30 tourism products; tourism bill by the Taita Taveta County Government; building of hotels to increase tourism bed capacity; DUT townhouses for touristt accommodation; homestay accommodation; tour guides, tour vehicles; hospitality products; and, other considerations.
Talking about the KQ direct flight between Nairobi and New York City, the discussion focused on how these flights could be integrated into the tourism plan. Another consideration was that achieving one million tourists annually might necessitate a Voi airport.
STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A DUT TOWNHOUSE
STEP 1. KSH 750,000
Visit a bank and borrow Ksh 750,000 through the bank's Personal Unsecured Loan products. Some of the Bank products that will make the loan repayment below Ksh 15,000 a month are:
KCB Bank Personal Unsecured Check-Off Loan
https://ke.kcbgroup.com/for-you/get-a-loan/unsecured-loan/check-off
Get a check-off loan as a government employee, or a company that has an agreement with KCB Bank. The check-off loan of Kes 20,000 up to Kes 10 Million is repayable in up to 120 months (10 years), with monthly repayments remitted by your employer.
Coop Bank Personal Unsecured Check-off Loan
https://www.co-opbank.co.ke/borrow/personal-loan/
Minimum loan amount of Ksh 50,000. Maximum loan amount: KES 10,000,000. Maximum term of up to 132 months (11 years)
DTB Bank Personal Unsecured Loan
https://dtbk.dtbafrica.com/account/unsecured-loan
Check off Non-Check loan, unsecured loan. Minimum Kes 50,000 up to Kes 6 Million. Tenor 96 months (8 years).
ABSA Bank Personal Unsecured Loan
https://www.absabank.co.ke/personal/get-a-personal-loan/#personalloancalculator
Borrow up to KES6,000,000 with no collateral required as security. Flexible repayment options up to 96 months
Monthly Payments of Loans based on 16% Interest
Based on a 16% interest rate, the monthly payments for the maximum loan period would be: Co-op Bank, Ksh 12,107; KCB Bank, Ksh 12,563; DTB, Ksh 13,897; and ABSA, Ksh 13,897.
Note that the bank's interest rate would determine the actual amount.
STEP 2. DUT-THIDA
Sign a DUT Townhouse Investment and Development Agreement (THIDA) https://dut.or.ke/THIDA2025.pdf and put the Ksh 750,000 in the Diaspora University Trust account.
At this point, a DUT townhouse developer file will be open and will start developing one townhouse.
STEP 3. PAY INSTALLMENTS AS THE DUT DEVELOPS THE TOWNHOUSE
Pay the monthly installments to your bank.
DUT, on the other hand, will develop the townhouse in accordance with THIDA Article 4.
In about 12–48 months, the DUT Design-Build plan will complete the townhouse.
STEP 4. COMPLETED HOUSE MORTGAGE
Upon completion of the house, get a KMRC mortgage through your bank.
The mortgage at this point can include the Principal Balance of the unsecured loan (Step 1), and the House Development Cost (THIDA Article 4).
The table in step 1 illustrates how the principal balance is incorporated into a mortgage.
STEP 5. COMPLETED HOUSE USAGE
The owner can occupy their house and live in a well-planned town with a clean and healthy environment, a University, a level 5/6 university hospital, good basic education schools for children, and other amenities.
If the owner does not live in the house, the owner can lease the house to DUT in accordance with THIDA Article 12 and receive Ksh 65,000 a month.
STEP 6. COMPLETED HOUSE EQUITY
Upon completion, each house will have equity calculated as Sale Price less the mortgage value. The sale prices are recorded in the DUT THD page https://dut.or.ke/thd
- Year 1 Sale Price. Ksh 8 million
- Year 2 Sale Price Ksh 8.5 million
- Year 3 Sale Price Ksh 9 million
- Year 4 Sale Price Ksh 9.5 million
- Year 5 onward Market Price.
GDP GROWTH APPROACH
DUT uses the GDP Growth approach, which has grown the U.S. economy from $57 billion to the current $30 trillion. DUT will achieve a GDP of Ksh 20 billion.
