Whether its international travelers who choose to take a break from their normal lives to enjoy some much-needed suntan on the beach and some dafu juice in the breezy-cool coastal city of Mombasa or to international business merchants who would wish to expand their operations in the vibrant energy-packed capital city of Nairobi, Kenya has always been a stunning sensation that seems to be on most people’s to-go list. My focus with this, however, is on the latter, given that the government has put in a tremendous effort in regards to increasing the ease of doing business in both the local and international sectors.

Just a few years back, Kenya was globally ranked somewhere around the 120s when it came to the ease of doing business. Although this was majorly unappealing, it was common for most African countries. In recent times, however, the government has done an incredible bit in really simplifying and automating business processes and this has been evident given Kenya has managed to jump from the struggling 120s to number 61 in global rankings, a much more desirable number place especially when you consider that this is on a global standard. Our country is now a much more desirable business hub than the likes of Oman, India, and Luxemburg.

On the ground, things are reflective of the improvement there has been in the country with regard to business convenience. Many global firms have taken a step towards “pitching up tent” in the East African heartland famously known as Kenya. Microsoft is one such company. With the recent launch of its Africa Development Centre (ADC), the company has identified Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria to be the two ideal sites for them to set up camp with this initiative. The ADC initiative is designed to be an Africa-specific solution provider that will allow Microsoft to better understand its customers and their needs, develop with a local mindset and then scale for global impact.

Microsoft has also taken into consideration the vast potential that exists in the two countries with regards to technical labor, and for this reason, it has taken the initiative to hire local engineers and developers. According to its recruitment plan, Microsoft intends to have 100 African staff before the end of the year and an expanse of 500 more across the two locations by 2023. With an expected investment of around Ksh. 10 billion in the first five years of operation, it is crystal clear that the company has a considerable level of faith in the two countries.

Though in a different capacity, Facebook has also realized the promising prospects in the Kenyan business scene. The social media conglomerate recently launched a stratagem to empower upcoming small and medium enterprises in Kenya with futuristic digital techniques that will give the firms a competitive edge in the global digital sector. Titled “Boost with Facebook”, the company will work alongside Wylde International, a local business accelerator, to train 3000 entrepreneurs in many of the country’s major cities on various insights on how to successfully maneuver the digital frontier to maximize their returns.

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