Kenya is positioning itself as East Africa’s leading business and technology hub, but concerns from major US tech companies over immigration and work-permit restrictions are putting pressure on Nairobi’s ambitions as it battles a growing immigration crisis.
Kenya’s ambition to establish itself as East Africa’s leading digital and technology hub is facing a fresh test as US companies warn that policy uncertainty could make investors more cautious.
According to The Nation, executives from Google, Uber, American Tower Corporation and Mastercard told the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Business Summit in Nairobi that unpredictable taxes, regulations and approval processes could deter new investment, highlighting the importance of policy certainty as Kenya seeks to attract more global capital.
The concerns come at a particularly important moment for Kenya.
Nairobi is positioning itself as a regional centre for data centres, cloud computing, connectivity and emerging technologies, while also courting US investment in areas such as critical minerals and digital infrastructure.
