Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre in Nairobi is reportedly closing its engineering operations. Employees were informed of the decision on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026.
CIO Africa first reported the closure, citing an employee source. Microsoft has acknowledged that its global restructuring has affected its engineering department in Kenya. It has not confirmed that the entire Nairobi centre will close.
The company says it will keep operating in Kenya and supporting customers across the region. It has not said how many employees are affected, when the changes will take effect, or whether staff will be offered transfers to other teams or locations.
On the same day, Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo met a Microsoft delegation led by Jeff Bullwinkel. Bullwinkel is vice president and deputy general counsel for corporate, external and legal affairs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Microsoft’s East Africa team, led by Angela Ng’ang’a, also attended.
Kabogo said Microsoft briefed him on its changing operations in Kenya in the context of its global restructuring. He said he stressed the importance of “retaining local talent, protecting jobs at Microsoft’s Nairobi engineering centre and sustaining investor confidence” in Kenya’s technology sector. He added that he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a competitive and transparent investment environment.
According to Kabogo, the meeting also covered:
- AI adoption in government
- digitisation of government services
- cybersecurity and digital infrastructure
- digital skills delivered through universities and other institutions
- Microsoft’s support for Kenya’s National AI Policy and innovation ecosystem
Kabogo said Microsoft had reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Kenya. He said the ministry and the company will develop a joint action plan to take the discussions forward.
Microsoft announced the Africa Development Centre in May 2019, with Nairobi and Lagos as its first hubs. It committed $100 million over five years to build engineering capacity in Africa and develop products for global markets.
The Nairobi centre officially opened in March 2022. At the time it was reported to have more than 450 full-time engineers and product leaders. Catherine Muraga was appointed managing director in June 2022. Microsoft closed its Lagos centre in 2024.
The reported closure follows weeks of concern among staff. In late September, Kipkorir Arap Kirui, a former Microsoft senior product manager now at Google, described cases of high-performing employees being placed on performance improvement plans or offered “voluntary” exits. Reports cited six-week improvement periods. They also alleged that staff were restricted from sharing separation agreements with independent legal advisers.
Kenya’s Employment Act, 2007, sets out requirements for redundancies. Whether those requirements apply depends on the facts of each case. A performance improvement plan or voluntary separation offer does not by itself establish a breach. There is also no evidence so far that the earlier performance decisions were part of a coordinated redundancy process.
The development comes two years after Microsoft and G42 announced a $1 billion investment in Kenya. That investment covers digital infrastructure, including a data centre and cloud services, as well as skills development. Microsoft has not indicated that the engineering changes affect those commitments.
Originally published by ITWeb Africa:
