In the first nine (9) months of 2021, Diaspora Kenyans in the U.S are reported by CBK to have remitted 60% of the Kshs 300 billion ($3 billion). This was an amount of about Kshs 180 billion ($1.8 billion). This amount came from the jobs created in the U.S. that Kenyans who have migrated to the U.S have taken up. The $1.8 billion remitted in the 9 months is estimated to be 10% of the $18 billion earned by the Diaspora Kenyans in the U.S in the same period. So how did the U.S. create jobs for Diaspora Kenyans?
Dan Kamau, the Diaspora University Town (DUT) Executive Trustee and Project developer, who lived in the U.S and is currently developing the DUT jobs creation and houses development project in Taita Taveta County, Kenya answered the question. He said, “The jobs the Diaspora Kenyans have are part of the over 200 million jobs created in the U.S. These jobs are created by the U.S entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and the right government policies.”
Dan explained the American entrepreneurial spirit through the stories of McDonalds, Walmart, Universities, Banks and millions of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). He says, “These SMEs make the U.S an economy of $21 trillion with over 200 million jobs created.”
On the entreprenuerial spirit, Dan talks about in on how WPI was started. He says that in 1865, the adult residents of Worcester City would receive a letter to fund a building so WPI University could be started. “230 residents responded and funded the first building.”
He says what was done 155 years ago has grow to the WPI 2021 budget of about $400 million. “This budget creates about 5,000 Jobs directly and another 10,000 jobs indirectly in the City of Worcester.” He adds that the entrepreneurial spirit of the 230 persons even today contributes to the jobs of Worcester City. He says, “About 2,000 Diaspora Kenyans live and work in the city of Worcester.
Explaining on how property development that supports job creation also contributes toward job creation Dan says, “Thousands of building are built in Worcester city to support the jobs creation and as residential howmes for workers. He says, “The property of Worcester city is valued at about $16 billion dollars.”
He says that some of the property owners who make rent income as owners of the property are employers of Diaspora Kenyans. He adds, “Most persons in the U.S who are over 80 years and were part of developing the U.S and invested in property development today make property rental income that they use to employ others as they continue to live in the World.”
Talking on how innovation is a job creator for Diaspora Kenyans Dan says that the U.S is always in the forefront of innovation. This was demonstrated recently through the COVID – 19 virus development and production. He says, “The vaccines being applied to vaccinate Kenyans were innovated in the U.S as millions of time hours were applied in research and innovation.”
“There are many Kenyans who are part of the innovation, ” says Dan. He gives the example of Dr. Wilson Endege a research scientist who is founding the Daktari Biotechnology medicine and vaccine at Diaspora University Town. He says, “Dr. Endege is part of the U.S innovation and research jobs.”
On the third job creation that he calls, “The right government policies,” Dan explains that after the great depression of 1929 the U.S economy declined to $57 GDP by 1933. He says, “Millions were unemployed. The New Deal that was started in 1933 by President Roosevelt (FDR) had new policies that led to job’s creation for economic security and social security.”
He says that the new deal had policies and legislative bills pased in the 1930s were more toward making the human resource productive to meet the individual, family and the collective needs of those in the U.S.
He adds, “By 2021 the U.S has achieved a food production and consumption system that ensures people are not hungry. The U.S has achieved a housing plan and system that enables access to housing. The U.S has over 5,000 healthcare facilities that meet the highest standard of health at a budget of about $3.5 trillion. ICT, entertainment, Children basic education and other needs can be factored in the $21 trillion budget. He says that the over 200 million jobs created in the U.S produce the needs of the 340 million persons for consumption. The U.S also produces for the World.
He says that as the 2nd World War started after 1941 the U.S already had the right policies in place. He adds, “The economy that had grown from $57 billion to $100 by 1940 would double to $200 in the next 3 years growing at over 17% every year as millions worked to meet their security needs.”
Dan adds that after the war ended in 1945, the entrepreneurial, innovation and government policies have continued to create jobs. “These jobs have brought millions of immigrants to the U.S as the world population has grown from 2.4 billion in 1945 to the current 7.8 billion in the last 75 years. “The U.S jobs creation is what created the Diaspora Kenyans.”
Talking about Diaspora University Town jobs creation plans, and systems Dan says, “The entrepreneurial spirit has created the project. We continue to ask more Kenyans to tap into the entrepreneur spirit and use DUT jobs systems and plans to create jobs in Kenya.
On innovation Dan says the project has on board several innovators who have innovated systems and technologies that are being applied in the project.
On government policies he says that the Kenya Constitution 2010 creates policies that can lead to human resource productivity to meet Kenyans economic and social rights. “The anchor is article 20 of the Constitution,’ he adds sayinh that as more bills are legislated in the National Assembly, Senate and 47 Counties Kenya will soon be creating thousands of jobs and persons working to meet their economic and social needs.
