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Kenya’s ′improving tech skills′ attract top tech labs

Kenya is fast becoming the main African hub for global technology companies because the country is getting its IT skills training right.

This is the view of Ken Mwenda, of Kenyan software training institute Emobilis, who says big global companies’ establishments of technology research and development hubs in the country shows confidence in Kenya’s level of ICT education.

Last month, global electronics giant Philips announced plans to set up a research and innovation hub in Kenya. Meanwhile, the likes of tech giant IBM has its only African research hub in Kenya.

While Mwenda says challenges such as class sizes, the relevance of courses and motivation need to be overcome to produce more qualified technology professionals in Kenya, global technology companies are voting with their feet regarding the local skills pool.

“Here are global multinationals saying we vote for Kenya, as opposed to Nigeria or South Africa or anywhere else, whether that’s IBM research or Philips Research setting up centres here that require people who have hard core skills not necessarily in programming but in understanding analysis and critical thinking and research skills,” Mwenda told ITWeb Africa.

Kenya has quickly grown to become one of Africa’s hottest technology markets.

The country is home to over 25 million mobile money users according to the local telecoms regulator, while technology innovation hubs such as Nairobi’s iHub are being used as a blueprint for other such labs on the continent.

“With Kenya as a leader in the continent in science and entrepreneurship as well as a hub of collaboration on technology and innovation, Nairobi, is the ideal location to establish Philips’ African research presence,” JJ van Dongen, senior vice president and chief executive officer of Philips Africa said during an announcement of the hub.

“We want to tap into the city’s vibrant research and development ecosystem and contribute to the process of co-creating new solutions, new business models and meaningful partnerships to provide innovations that make an impact,” said van Dongen.

It is not only a slew of technology research and development labs that are being set up in the country though.

As part of the country’s 2030 vision to boost technology’s contribution to economic growth, Kenya has embarked on a multi-billion dollar technology city development dubbed Konza or Silicon Savannah.

The 5,000-acre technology city project, which is to be built just over 60 km from Nairobi, is planned to feature business processing outsourcing (BPO) centres, a science park, university campus, an international business district and commercial and residential properties.

Large local and global technology companies such as Safaricom have committed to having a presence within the project.