At the age of 36 years, in 1896, William Jennings Bryan would be nominated for the U.S presidency by the Democratic Party. Whereas, he did not win the election, his words “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved,” have progressed the world. The words are applicable to the Diaspora University Town (DUT) project and Kenya.
Kenya and Kenyans did not clearly define how the Destiny of Kenya would be achieved after independence (1963). Thousands of Kenyans born after independence have since migrated to other countries in search of a better way of life. These Kenyans have taken the jobs available in the country abroad they go to. They today contribute to achieving the Destiny of Kenya through remittances. In 2023 Diaspora Kenyans remitted over $4 billion.
Diaspora Kenyans have also rolled up their sleeves to start DUT, jointly with Ndara B Community, as part of achieving Kenya and Kenyans destiny. Today, Diaspora Kenyans already investing and progressing DUT are telling their fellow Diaspora Kenyans that Kenya development will not happen by chance. That as Diaspora Kenyans they have to make the choice to develop Kenya.
Echoing the words of Bryan whose work and words over 100 years ago contribute to the jobs creation in the U.S that Kenyans take up; the Diaspora Kenyans who have joined DUT are telling their fellow Diaspora. “The Destiny of Kenya and the Destiny of young Kenyans cannot be waited for. Let’s achieve this destiny for ourselves and for the young Kenyans through job creation.”
The Democratic Party would nominate William Jennings Bryan for President in 1900 when he was 40 and in 1908 when he was 48. He lost all three elections. However, the reforms he championed progressed and still progress the U.S. In 1913 he was pivotal in shaping the Federal Reserve System that supplies the money.
Diaspora Kenyans developing DUT are encouraging young Kenyans born in the Diaspora to also join in shaping the destiny of Kenya. Kenya constitution 14 (1) reads, “A person is a citizen by birth if on the day of the person’s birth, whether or not the person is born in Kenya, either the mother or father of the person is a citizen.”
