Kenya Is Struggling To Find Winners After Startup Funding Boom

Kenya, the acclaimed Silicon Savannah, is reeling from turbulence in its tech landscape. Notable companies like Cellulant, Twiga, Wasoko, and MarketForce have recently grappled with disruptions ranging from layoffs, contractions, and strategic recalibrations. This raises crucial questions about the trajectory of the country's tech ecosystem.

Despite a history of relatively sizeable funding, the Kenyan tech scene faces a crossroads, prompting a closer examination of the nuanced challenges it grapples with and the strategies for a resurgence. Beneath the surface of apparent setbacks lie nuanced challenges and the potential for a reinvigorated tech landscape, insiders reckon.

“We need to get back to the fundamentals,” Mbugua Njihia, a Kenyan entrepreneur and venture builder with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, told WT.

Kenya's tech startup ecosystem has been a key player in Africa, attracting significant funding and attention as part of the so-called ...