Most people aware of the African tech scene know that Kenya is one of the main pillars of the continent, brimming with software and design talent alongside Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Ghana. In a continent of 54 independent countries, that puts Kenya in the top 10%.
It is not so commonly known, however, that Kenya’s tech history is intertwined with our independence. The first formal computer course was offered in 1963 at the Kenya Institute of Administration, while the first dedicated Computer Science department was established at the University of Nairobi in 1976, predating the World Wide Web itself! How far “Silicon Savannah” has come!
A 2020 Google/IFC report estimated a professional core of about 60K full-time software engineers in Kenya, while GitHub (which tracks active accounts interacting with open-source projects) in 2024 found a broader community of about 400K active developers, with the number growing 33% year-on-year. This means Kenya is the fastest-growing developer ecosystem on the continent of Africa.
While most developers freelance, or join startups, non-profits, and large corporates, a few misfits band together in companies that offer software design and development to both local and international clients on a consultancy basis. Below is our list of the most notable ones.
1. Qhala
Founded: 2020 (6yrs)
Founders: Dr. Shikoh Gitau, Josiah Mugambi
Qhala has a distinct combination of research, strategy, and technology. They are deeply Africa-contextual rather than a conventional outsourced dev shop, with strong domain positioning in healthcare, financial services and the digital economy.
2. Skyline
Founded: 2008 (18yrs)
Founders: Huston Malande, David Kuria, Brian Wangila
Skyline has a notably long track record being more of an integrated product design and engineering outfit than a typical digital agency, while particularly serving companies needing ongoing product and engineering capability.
3. Andela Kenya
Founded: 2014 (12yrs)
Founders: Jeremy Johnson, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Nadayar Enegesi, Brice Nkengsa, Ian Carnevale, Christina Sass
Andela’s differentiator is scale. They are a large vetted talent ecosystem, with AI-powered matching, cross-border hiring infrastructure, payroll/compliance, and the ability to rapidly augment enterprise teams. Though not Kenyan per se, operations in Kenya started in 2015.
4. Glitex Solutions
Founded: 2015 (11yrs)
Founder: Peter Muhia Njenga
Glitex’s focus is on enterprise and institutional systems rather than simple websites. They have verifiable experience with financial institutions and development organizations, and are increasingly emphasizing AI and automation.
5. Elewa
Founded: 2015 (11yrs)
Founder: Jente Rosseel
Elewa has a distinctive Europe–Africa bridge, with strong experience taking startups from idea through scale, combining Kenyan engineering capacity with European commercial proximity.
6. Growthpad Consulting Group
Founded: 2017 (9yrs)
Founder: Duncan Njue Mutwiri
Growthpad has the ability to combine technology, communications, marketing, research and rollout/adoption under one engagement, with its Pan African Agency Network giving it coordinated reach across 20+ African markets.
7. Made by People
Founded: 2018 (8yrs)
Founders: Mutugi M’Narobi, Kipkorir Arap Kirui
Made by People have some of the best HCD researchers in the country. They are a good fit for ambiguous problems requiring field research, co-creation and validation before engineering itself, which they also deliver.
8. Zedafrica
Founded: 2012 (14yrs)
Founder: Eugene Nyawara
Zedafrica shines when combining strong product design with front-end implementation, making it well suited to polished digital products rather than purely back-end engineering. They have solid regional context and visual craft.
9. Webpinn
Founded: 2019 (7yrs)
Founder: Vincent Menza
Webpinn is primarily oriented toward SMEs, e-commerce and conversion-focused websites. They have a local grasp of M-Pesa, WooCommerce, Shopify and Kenyan online-business requirements.
10. Dotsavvy
Founded: 2002 (24yrs)
Founder: Moses Kemibaro
Dotsavvy is Kenya’s first and oldest digital business agency, with more than two decades in the sector. Though not primarily focused on hardcore software development, they are reputable where technology and digital marketing/communications need to sit together.
Honorable Mentions
And that sums up our top 10 list of best software dev companies in Kenya. Other outfits worth considering include Zege Technologies by Kariuki Gathitu, Sisitech by Ali Chivatsi, Fluidtech Global by Thomas Mulumbi, and Red Afro by Jimmy Gitonga.
It’s gonna be interesting to watch how the Kenyan tech scene evolves over the next few years with regard to independent agencies serving an international market that has an insatiable and ever growing appetite for design and engineering services. AI itself will only increase the need for “humans in the loop,” and there’s no better place to find youthful, intelligent, enthusiastic, and computer-literate talent to close that loop than on the great continent of Africa.
Keep building, I’ll see you in the trenches. 👊🏾