Ndara B Community Land Management Committee welcomed Dr. Wilson Endege to Taita Taveta during his visit to the County. Dr. Endege was in Taita Taveta to advance the establishment of a Medicine and Vaccine Plant. He was happy to meet the Ndara B Community land management committee.
The committee learnt of the medicine and vaccine plant that Dr. Endege and scientists will be opening at the Diaspora University Town site. “We shall produce Diabetes, HIV, Malaria, Hepatitis, Vaccines and other medicines that will improve the healthcare of this region, Kenya and East Africa,” said Dr. Endege.
The Diaspora Kenyan told the committee that he has been in the Academia-Biotech-Pharmaceutical industry in the U.S for over 30 years. He said that during that time he has worked at Harvard University Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital-Partners HealthCare, Chiron Diagnostics Inc., Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, New Era Pharma and Yukon Pharma.
He informed the committee that his research in cancer biomarkers, therapeutic targets and drug discovery has resulted in five (5) patents issued.
He also informed the Ndara B Committee of the team of Diaspora Scientists that will kick off the Daktari Biotechnology Medicine. He said, “Dr. Benson Edagwa, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, an organic/medicinal chemist is one of the scientists I’m working with.”
He told the committee that Benson has extensive knowledge in formulation of medicines for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and other drugs. He said that he is an inventor of the long-acting slow effective release antiretroviral therapy (LASER ART) technology.
He talked about the building and informed the Committee that the design is ready. He said Prof. Dr. David Ogoli in California will be visiting us this December and he shall come to see the site as he finalizes on the design.
The Committee members expressed gratitude to the Diaspora Kenyans for remembering Kenya and bringing back knowledge and their intellectual resources to develop Kenya. They said they were happy that the medicine and vaccine plant will be built on the Ndara B Community land. More importantly they said that they are happy that the community members will benefit from the jobs created and the medicines produced.
They said the Ndara B Community members are ready to work and play whatever role given to make this dream and vision a reality.
Discussing the political leaders whose activities have delayed the project in the past, the Ndara B committee members said this will not be acceptable. They assured Dr. Endege that any political leader who obstructs the development of the Diaspora University, Diaspora University Town, the Medicine and Vaccine Plant will not be elected in Taita Taveta. Saying that persons cannot be given jobs and income and their work thereafter becomes denying others jobs and income.
“The biggest reason that millions don’t have jobs is the approach the leaders take,” said Dr. Endege as he agreed with the Committee that they could influence the election of good leaders.
On his part Dr. Endege said that through the Diaspora University, the Diaspora University Medical Hospital and the Daktari Biotechnology Medicine and Vaccine he will be able to transfer knowledge to young Kenyans. “
“With this knowledge we shall make Kenya a Biotechnology hub of Africa from here in Voi,” he said. He informed the committee that three of the companies that are supplying the world and Kenya with the COVID 19 vaccines are in the Boston- Cambridge that is one of the Biotechnology hubs in the U.S. He added, “DUT and Voi region will have a strong Biotechnology sector.”
