Local companies are struggling to recruit and retain key talent as US tech titans led by Microsoft, Amazon and Google tilt the market in their favour with high salaries and attractive employment terms.
The three multinationals have increased their presence in East Africa with Kenya as their hub, triggering an aggressive hiring spree that has seen them pay up to Sh1.8 million monthly for principal tech specialists.
The multinationals are also paying around Sh300,000 to junior tech developers, Sh500,000 for mid-level techies and between Sh800,000 and Sh1.3 million for lead and senior roles.
Smaller companies in the area such as Wasoko, Flocash, Twiga foods, Lori Systems, and Sendy, who had invested in and trained young engineers, have been swiftly outbid.
But while the talent war is resulting in higher compensation for Kenya’s techies, it is disrupting the business plans for local firms and smaller foreign technology companies.
Major telcos and banks, long considered the best-paying organisations for techies in Kenya, are also losing their top talent to Big Tech.