Kenya Plans to Expand BPO and GBS Opportunities Beyond Nairobi

Kenya is seeking to expand opportunities in the Global Business Services (GBS) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sectors beyond Nairobi and Mombasa as the government looks to create more digital employment opportunities for young people across the country.

Principal Secretary for the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, disclosed the plans after visiting Teleperformance at TRIFIC SEZ in Two Rivers, Nairobi, where he assessed the company’s operations and the potential of Kenya’s growing global services sector.

Tanui said Teleperformance currently operates in Nairobi and Mombasa with more than 2,500 seats and continues to expand its operations in Kenya. He attributed the company’s investment to the country’s skilled English-speaking workforce, digital infrastructure, favourable time zone and improving business environment.

According to Tanui, Kenya’s digital economy currently supports more than 350,000 jobs, including more than 40,000 in BPO and GBS. He said the government’s focus is now on moving the sector up the value chain and positioning Kenya as a destination for high-value global services.

The government is also working to strengthen digital infrastructure, expand digital skills and improve the policy environment, including through the recently introduced BPO policy. Tanui said these efforts are intended to support growth in areas such as AI operations, software development, cybersecurity, data analytics and financial services.

Tanui said the government wants to extend BPO and GBS opportunities beyond Nairobi and Mombasa to other towns, including Nakuru, Nyeri, Kericho and Eldoret. The expansion is expected to create more sustainable digital jobs, increase service exports and broaden participation in Kenya’s digital economy.

The Principal Secretary also highlighted the growth of the global BPO market, which he said was valued at approximately US$328 billion in 2025, with the sector increasingly expanding beyond traditional customer contact services into technology support, finance, data services and AI-enabled operations.