Over 800 young people apply to Estonian tech school expanding to Kenya

TALLINN - The Jõhvi-founded programming school //kood is set to open its first on-site study program in Kenya this September. This week, 80 young people, selected from a pool of over 800 applicants, began an admissions program. Those who successfully complete it will secure a spot in the kood/Nairobi program, which starts in the fall.

The program, supported by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), aims to cultivate the IT talent necessary for Kenya's rapidly developing digital economy. ESTDEV will fund 50 student placements in the kood/Nairobi program, which commences in September.

"For Estonia, developing digital skills in Kenya is an opportunity to share our experience as a digital nation and in education, and to establish long-term collaborative relationships with Kenya's rapidly growing technology sector," said Katrin Winter, Head of Partnerships at ESTDEV. "Estonia's development cooperation aims not just for knowledge transfer, but for a partnership where our experience helps solve local challenges while simultaneously creating new opportunities for collaboration."

According to Winter, Kenya is one of East Africa's most significant technology hubs, experiencing rapid growth in both the use of digital services and the demand for qualified specialists. "By supporting the development of local talent, Estonia is contributing to a stronger, more sustainable digital economy and laying the groundwork for new connections between Estonian and Kenyan businesses, educational institutions, and innovation communities," she added.

Interest in the program surpassed all expectations, with candidates registering from across Kenya. Notably, nearly 40 percent of the applicants have no prior programming experience.

The program is implemented by //kood, a technology school established in Estonia, whose graduates are employed by over 150 technology companies. The Nairobi program marks the school's first academic venture outside of Europe.

ESTDEV supported the program through its Africa support fund, with a grant of 80,000 euros allocated for this new phase of the project.