NAIROBI, Kenya- Microsoft could wind down operations at its Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Nairobi, putting more than 400 jobs at risk, Y News has learnt.
At least 7 sources, who spoke to Y News anonymously, said the staff had been informed that one-on-one meetings with the human resources manager would be held over the next three days.
The meetings are expected to address the centre’s future and the status of employees, the sources said.
The possible wind-down follows a round of layoffs in September, when about 30 per cent of the workforce was let go.
The reports come as ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo met a Microsoft delegation on Monday, October 12, and urged the company to protect jobs at its Nairobi engineering centre.
Kabogo said Microsoft had briefed him on its “evolving operations in Kenya” amid global restructuring.
The meeting also covered artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and digital skills.
Microsoft’s public Africa Development Centre website continues to describe the Nairobi operation as a premier engineering hub working on products in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, security and productivity.
“The meetings are meant to discuss the terms of reference and the exit process,” the source told Y News.
The company’s profile says the centre develops engineering talent and contributes to Microsoft products used around the world.
The company’s profile also lists work with universities and the wider technology sector, Microsoft Research Africa and the Microsoft Garage, a space for employees and community groups to develop skills and test ideas.
Microsoft had employed more than 500 full-time staff across software development, research, programme management, design and operations.
The centre began operating in Nairobi in 2019.
Microsoft said in 2022 that it had more than 500 engineers in Kenya.
Its stated purpose was to develop technology for global products while creating opportunities for African engineers to work on international projects.
The possibility of a Kenyan closure would follow Microsoft’s decision to close its Africa Development Centre in Lagos in 2024.
The company said at the time that some Nigeria-based employees would be affected, while it would continue operating in the country.
In 2019, Microsoft said Nairobi would be one of the two initial sites of its Africa Development Centre, alongside Lagos, serving as an engineering hub where African talent would build solutions for local and global use.
The company described the project as a long-term investment, with a combined US$100 million expected investment over the first five years.
