Kenya's population is today estimated at about 52 million. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at $107 billion. The GDP Per Capita income is calculated by dividing GDP by population. Kenya GDP Per Capita income is about $2,200. The USA population is estimated at about 330 million. The GDP at $23 trillion. The U.S GDP Per capita income at $68,000.
In the last 60 years Kenya GDP per capita has not grown at the pace of the U.S or that of Singapore.
Kenyan’s failure to invest in jobs creation systems, like those in the U.S, that make land resource and human resource productive to meet Kenyans constitutional rights is the main reason the per capita income is low compared to that of the U.S.
Kenya Constitution 42, 43 and 53 establishes the right to a clean and healthy environment; the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services; the right to accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation; the right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality; the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities; the right to social security; the right to education; children right to free and compulsory basic education; and, children right to basic nutrition, shelter and health care.
The U.S. investment in jobs creation and application of resources to produce, has led to the adult population at any given time producing these rights for themselves and for their children.
This production is reflected in the $68,000 GDP per capita income in the U.S. Thousands of Diaspora Kenyans have also become beneficiaries and contributors toward U.S. GDP growth. Diaspora Kenyans are also remitting millions of dollars from the income they make abroad to Kenya.
Healthcare.
The U.S healthcare sector is a $3.5 trillion sector, about $10,000 of the GDP per capita is healthcare. This high standard of healthcare is reflected in the medicines and vaccine production; medical equipment and supplies industries; hospitals; universities; trained doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and other healthcare sectors.
Diaspora Kenyans everyday benefit from this healthcare system for their healthcare needs. The healthcare system is a source of income to many Diaspora Kenyans who work as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals.
Diaspora Kenyans through the Diaspora University Town (DUT) project have started the process to grow the healthcare sector and healthcare standards in Kenya. With more and more Diaspora Kenyans getting involved the GDP per capita of healthcare in Kenya will grow past the $1,000 mark by 2030.
A $60 billion healthcare GDP will be achieved as Diaspora Kenyans invest cash, intellectual resources and find SMEs to partner with for medical equipment and supplies production in Kenya. Diaspora Kenyans working on Diaspora University Town have started this.
Housing, Clean Water and Clean Healthy Environment
The accessible housing plan in the U.S cities and towns is experienced when someone gets a job in any city or town in the U.S. Using the right systems of settlement has enabled the housing sector to further incorporate the right of clean water and the right to a clean and healthy environment to housing. Housing is the main contributor to the GDP of the U.S.
The estimate is that over 50% of the U.S GDP results from housing. This means that about $12 trillion of the $23 trillion U.S GDP is from housing. Likewise, $35,000 of the $68,000 U.S. GDP Per capita income is from housing.
Singapore in 1960, after attainment of self-rule, incorporated housing development through sustainable systems to sustain the environment and the population in their 728 km² land. The choice has contributed to the $370 billion Singapore GDP and $67,000 per capita. More importantly, there are no slums in Singapore. There is a clean and healthy environment.
Diaspora University Town development uses systems that incorporate accessible housing. As jobs are created at DUT, the persons taking up the jobs will have access to good housing through townhouses and apartments.
Kenya Constitution has today set the system that enables the Kenyans to attain their constitutional rights through the productivity of their land resource and their human resource.
As Kenyans apply their land and human resources to achieve the rights of healthcare, housing, food, clean water, education, social security and children rights, Kenya GDP per capita will gradually grow.
(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)
