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Kenyan soldier who fled the country among brains behind Akon City project


A Kenyan living in the US has been named as one of the brains behind a Sh600 billion project for the construction of Akon City in Senegal.

Julius Mwale, who once served as a soldier in the Kenyan Air Force, but fled to the US in 2000 after seeking political asylum following a bitter fallout with the authorities, is said to be part of the project which is a cryptocurrency themed city in Senegal.

CITY’S CONSTRUCTION

Senegalese-American singer Akon, whose brainchild the city is, entered a contract with US-based engineering and consulting firm, KE International early June.

KE International generated the initial $4 billion from investors and will use it to finish the first and second phases of the city’s construction.

The city will also consist of parks, a stadium, universities and an industrial complex in Akon City.

The first phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, includes the construction of roads, a Hamptons Hospital campus, Hamptons Mall, a police station, a waste facility, a school, and a power plant.

SPECIAL TAX ZONES

Phase 2 will end in 2029 and will focus on integrating businesses to run on Akon’s AKOIN cryptocurrency.

Just like Akon, Mwale is also working with KE International to create his Sh200 billion Mwale Medic and Technology City project in Kenya.

President of Senegal, Macky Sall, will earmark Akon City as a special tax zone with tax breaks geared towards encouraging companies to invest.

Akon’s city will be only the second LEED city in Africa following Mwale’s Mwale Medical and Technology City. The entire construction for Akon City is expected to be completed in 2030.