Kenya IT Sector: A Closer Look at It

Much has been said about the Kenya IT sector. It is often mentioned as being one of the economic sectors that show a lot of promise in Kenya. It is also mentioned as one of the sectors that have, already, made a significant difference in the lives of Kenyans so far. It is against that background, then, that we now venture to take a closer look at the Kenya IT sector. We will be attempting to understand what the major subsectors in the Kenya IT sector are. We will be venturing further to identify the factors fueling the growth of this sector. At yet another level, we will be attempting to identify things that may hamper the growth of the Kenya IT sector. By the end of the whole discussion, you should have some insight on the leading Kenya IT companies and the leading Kenya IT solutions. You should also have some idea on the scope of Kenya IT jobs, where they are, and how you can get them.

Identifying the major subsectors in the Kenya IT industry

One of the major subsectors in the Kenya IT industry is the computer manufacturing subsector. Unknown to many people is the fact that there are some computer assembly plants operating in Kenya. At some point, for instance, we used to know the one at Sameer EPZ, which is associated with the Mecer brand. The folks there assemble brand new Mecer PCs for the export market, and they seem to be doing quite well for themselves. Should the Konza City initiative materialize, we’d surely see more of these computer hardware assembly ventures coming up. Currently, there are others that are involved in the refurbishment of imported second hand computers: though the legal framework seems to be inching closer towards banning the importation of such second hand computers, under the basis that such computers constitute ‘electronic waste.’ Then we have other companies, right in Kenya, that are involved in the manufacture (or simply assembly) of IT accessories. Closely related to those are the numerous computer hardware repair shops, found in almost all towns in the country, and whose owners are, in a small way, playing a very crucial role in the Kenya IT industry.

The second major subsector in the Kenya IT industry is the Internet Service Provision subsector. There are several successful ISPs (Internet Service Providers) in Kenya. Among the leading Kenya ISPs are the likes of Access Kenya and Swift Global. Safaricom, through its Internet Bundles offering is also essentially operating as a ISP, and that is also where we find the Jamii Telecom Limited (to mention but a few). Closely related to these ISPs are the Kenya computer network installation and maintenance businesses. Again, these have grown in number of the years, to a level where pretty much all major towns in Kenya have them.

The third major subsector in the Kenya IT industry is the software development subsector. In the earliest days of Kenya ICT, most of the software-based Kenya IT solutions deployed locally used to be imported. But over the years, we have seen the emergence of a growing class of Kenyan software developers who are doing quite a good job, in terms of coming up with homegrown Kenya IT solutions. It is nowadays possible to purchase inventory control, payroll and educational software made right here in Kenya, by native Kenyan software developers. Others are venturing into more sophisticated things like GPS-based fleet management and so on. Closely related to these are the folks who are involved in Kenya content development.

The fourth major subsector in the Kenya IT industry is the Kenya IT equipment and accessories retail subsector. Closely related to the people in this subsector are those who are involved in the importation of IT equipment and accessories into Kenya.

The fifth major subsector in the Kenya IT industry is the IT training subsector. The number of people who are involved in IT training in Kenya is huge: when you take into consideration those who undertake IT training in the universities, polytechnics, technical institutes and the numerous business and IT training ‘colleges’ that are found all over the country.

The folks who are involved in things like running Kenya computer bureaus and cyber cafes can also be regarded as being key actors in the Kenya IT sector. They are the people who are responsible for taking technology to the masses in the country.

Factors fueling the growth of IT in Kenya

One of the major factors fueling growth of IT in Kenya is the fact that Kenya is a country with a huge, literate, youthful population. This is a population that, thanks to its literacy, is able to consume technology. This is also a population that, thanks to its youthfulness, is ready to try new things (unlike what would be the case if we were dealing with an old population, which would tend to be suffering from technophobia).

Another factor fueling the growth of IT in Kenya is the fact that most of the IT solutions being introduced into the market serve real needs that people always had. So the uptake ends up being efficient.

Yet another factor fueling the growth of IT in Kenya is the government facilitation. It is fair to say that the Kenyan government has been doing everything in its power to promote the growth of IT in Kenya. That has included the exemption of IT equipment and accessories from certain taxes. That has also included the creation of online portals, and the institution of measures where people have to perform many functions (that involve interaction with the government) online. The government’s proposed Konza City initiative is bound to spur further growth in the IT sector (if it works out well). And we have to mention that the government invested heavily in the creation of the submarine fiber optic cables, whose presence has done a lot in terms of spurring IT growth in Kenya.

Factors that may hamper further growth of IT in Kenya

One factor that may hamper further growth of IT in Kenya is piracy. This is particularly detrimental to the software development aspect. It is a scenario where we are increasingly seeing many software developers being discouraged from coming up with new programs by the fact that they know that they are likely to suffer from piracy once they introduce their software into the market.

Another factor that may hamper further growth of IT in Kenya is change in government policy. If, for instance, the government keeps on increasing the taxes for IT equipment and accessories, a point may come where that may starts slowing down the uptake of IT in the country. At yet another level, if the government opts to use draconian Internet control measures, then it may end up hampering the growth of IT in Kenya (especially with respect to content development). The IT sector tends to do well in fully democratic environments, where there is full freedom of expression.

While the Kenya IT sector has been growing well, there is a feeling that it is not yet reaching its full potential. The education system may be to blame for this. We, for instance, have a situation where our computer science graduates are only able to come up with ‘tweaks’ to computer systems developed elsewhere, but where, for the most part, they are unable to come up with original systems of their own. Yet if we had an educational system that focused on promoting critical thinking and entrepreneurship mentality (as opposed to the one we have that focuses on cramming of facts and employee mentality), the situation would probably be different.

A comment on Kenya IT jobs

The growth of the Kenya IT sector has meant that the number of Kenya IT jobs has also kept on growing at a remarkable pace. But this doesn’t mean that getting the Kenya IT jobs is easy. The challenge is in the fact that there are so many people acquiring IT skills in Kenya, such that in the final analysis, the number of people looking for Kenya IT jobs outstrips the number of jobs available. Subsequently, Kenya IT companies, faced with a glut of people with IT skills, end up being in a position to get people to do complex jobs for relatively low wages. You can’t blame them: that is what happens when the supply of labor outstrips demand for the same. But it is also worth noting that there are certain jobs (especially those that are very highly specialized) for which there aren’t enough qualified people in Kenya. That is how Kenya IT companies end up having to poach top level staff (mainly the most eminent Kenya IT gurus) from each other. Actually, there are cases where Kenya IT companies have ended up having to hire expatriates.

Of course, Kenya IT jobs aren’t just to be found in the Kenya IT companies. As a visit to, say, the Kenya IT week forums will reveal to you that there are other places where Kenya IT jobs can be obtained (other than in the Kenya IT companies). Thus, for instance, the Kenya banks often have well paying IT jobs. So do other Kenya companies – including those in the manufacturing sector and those in the service sector. Yet one more thing you may realize, after visiting the likes of the Kenya IT week forums, is the fact that the government has a lot of IT work: meaning that folks looking for Kenya IT jobs can also get them in the public service (which is increasingly offering rather competitive remuneration).

Folks looking for Kenya IT jobs are advised to use a multi-pronged strategy in their job search. That is where, for instance, one can start by making the habit of scouring through the papers, to identify the Kenya IT job vacancies that he or she can apply for. Meanwhile, one should also be networking with his or her acquaintances in the Kenya IT sector, so as to get 411s on jobs that arise and are meant to be filled internally, without being advertised. It also makes sense, for the person looking for Kenya IT jobs, to register with the various web-based employment websites, as well as the reputable, traditional recruitment agencies. What one ultimately needs to get rid of is the thinking that one has to be ‘connected’ to get these Kenya Information Technology jobs. Sure, connections help, but a person with real expertise can still get a decent Kenya Information Technology job, even without ‘connections.’