Microsoft says restructuring has hit its Kenya engineering team; minister urges it to protect jobs

Microsoft said on 12 October 2026 that proposed changes within the company have affected its engineering department in Kenya, the technology news site tech-ish reported, quoting a company spokesperson. The same day, William Kabogo, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, met a Microsoft delegation and pressed it to protect jobs at the company's Nairobi engineering centre, People Daily reported.

The Kenyan news site Kenyans.co.ke quoted a Microsoft official on 13 October as saying: "We are communicating directly with employees in Kenya about proposed changes to our engineering operations. We recognise the uncertainty this brings and are keeping those discussions private." The official also said Microsoft "remains committed to Kenya and will continue to have employees in the country".

The spokesperson also said Microsoft would keep operating in Kenya and supporting its customers in the region. The Kenyan technology site TechTrends Kenya reported on 12 October that Microsoft had not disclosed how many employees are affected, a timetable, or whether staff would be offered transfers.

The same TechTrends Kenya report, citing an employee source quoted by the African IT news site CIO Africa, said staff were told on 12 October that the engineering operation in Nairobi would close. Microsoft's public statement did not explicitly confirm that the entire Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Nairobi would close. The Kahawatungu news site headlined its 12 October report "Microsoft to close Nairobi Engineering Centre in global restructuring". Microsoft's statement refers to changes to its engineering operations and does not use the word closure.

The African technology news site TechCabal reported on 13 October, citing two employees, that staff at the Nairobi centre had been asked to meet their managers by 16 October to discuss exit options, including severance. Microsoft has not publicly confirmed that the entire centre will close.

Kabogo met a delegation led by Jeff Bullwinkel, Microsoft's Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Corporate, External and Legal Affairs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, together with the Microsoft East Africa team led by Angela Ng'ang'a, according to his post on X.

"Microsoft briefed me on its evolving operations in Kenya in the context of its global restructuring," Kabogo said in the post, as quoted by People Daily. He said he stressed the importance of retaining local talent, protecting jobs at the Nairobi engineering centre and sustaining investor confidence in Kenya's technology sector. The ministry and Microsoft are to develop a joint action plan to implement the proposals discussed.

Microsoft announced the Africa Development Centre in May 2019, with Nairobi and Lagos as its first sites and a five-year, US$100 million investment commitment. Tech-ish put the sum at about KES 13 billion.

The Nairobi office opened on 24 March 2022 at Dunhill Towers on Waiyaki Way in Westlands. Microsoft said at the time that it had more than 450 full-time employees there. The last Nairobi headcount the company gave was 500, in May 2024.

On 8 May 2024, Microsoft said it had decided to close the Africa Development Centre in Nigeria. An updated statement the next day said: "This is not a site closure." A Microsoft statement carried by the Nigerian site Techeconomy on 9 May 2024 said: "There are no impacts to the Africa Development center in Kenya."

Microsoft cut about 4,800 roles worldwide in July 2026, about 2.1 per cent of its global workforce, and 268 Xbox roles on 22 September 2026. People Daily noted that the July cuts do not by themselves show that the Nairobi centre faces redundancies.