Microsoft To Close Nairobi Africa Development Centre

Microsoft is closing its Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Nairobi, CIO Africa has learnt, bringing an end to the company’s engineering operations at the Kenyan facility.

A source who was among those employed at the Africa Development Centre told CIO Africa that employees were informed of the closure on Monday, October 12, 2026. The closure comes as Microsoft undergoes a broader global restructuring that has affected its workforce in recent weeks. The company has been laying off staff, including at its African operations, as it reviews its structure and operations.

This development comes after a meeting between Microsoft executives and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo, on Monday.

Kabogo met a Microsoft 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. The delegation also included Microsoft’s East Africa team, led by Angela Ng’ang’a. In a statement following the meeting, Kabogo said Microsoft had briefed him on its “evolving operations in Kenya in the context of its global restructuring.”

The Cabinet Secretary said he had stressed the importance of retaining local talent and protecting jobs at Microsoft’s Nairobi engineering centre.

“I stressed the importance of retaining local talent, protecting jobs at Microsoft’s Nairobi engineering centre and sustaining investor confidence in Kenya’s technology sector,” Kabogo said.

The government’s intervention suggests that the changes at Microsoft are significant enough to have raised concerns about the impact on Kenya’s technology workforce. Microsoft, however, reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Kenya, according to Kabogo. The two parties are also expected to develop a joint action plan covering areas including artificial intelligence adoption in government, digitisation of government services, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and digital skills.

Microsoft acknowledged that its global restructuring had affected its engineering department in Kenya but maintained that it would continue operating in the country.

“These are proposed changes that are part of the global changes within Microsoft. They have impacted the engineering department in Kenya but the company will continue operating in the country and will continue supporting its customers in the region,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CIO Africa.

While the spokesperson framed the changes as part of Microsoft’s wider restructuring, the company did not explicitly confirm or deny the closure of the Nairobi Africa Development Centre. A source who was among those employed at the centre told CIO Africa that employees had been informed of the closure on Monday, October 12.

From African engineering hub to closure

Microsoft established its Africa Development Centre as part of an effort to build engineering capacity on the continent and have African technology professionals contribute to products and services used globally. The Nairobi centre became one of the company’s key engineering locations in Africa, alongside its facility in Lagos, Nigeria.

The centres were positioned as part of Microsoft’s investment in African technology talent, with engineers working on areas including software development, cloud technologies, security and other products within Microsoft’s global portfolio. The closure of the Nairobi centre follows Microsoft’s decision to shut down its Africa Development Centre in Lagos.

CIO Africa previously reported that Microsoft was closing the Lagos facility, with employees being informed of the decision in 2024. The move marked a significant reversal for an initiative that had been presented as an investment in Africa’s growing pool of engineering talent. The closure of the Nairobi centre now raises fresh questions about Microsoft’s long-term engineering footprint on the continent and the impact on technology jobs in Kenya.

It also comes at a time when Kenya is seeking to strengthen its position as a regional technology hub and attract investment in areas including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and software development. The Nairobi ADC has been part of that ecosystem, employing technology professionals and creating opportunities for Kenyan and other African engineers to work on Microsoft’s global technology products.

The government is now expected to engage Microsoft on the implications of the restructuring, particularly around the retention of local talent. For Microsoft, the changes represent a significant shift in its African engineering strategy. For Kenya, the closure could mean the loss of one of the country’s most prominent multinational technology engineering operations.

CIO Africa will continue to follow developments around Microsoft’s restructuring and its impact on the company’s operations and workforce in Kenya.