By Nikki Germany
Kenyan boards check currency risk, new rules and cybersecurity every quarter, yet one important risk often gets far less attention. That risk is the gap between the tech skills a company has and the skills its strategy needs. Two new Moringa studies suggest this tech skills gap affects business results, not just training plans. The good news is that the same studies also point to a clear way forward for leaders.
How Wide Is the Tech Skills Gap?
A Moringa report based on interviews with 166 senior executives found that 72% treat digital transformation as a top priority. Yet 73% say their tech workforce is still at an early or developing stage, which shows how wide the tech skills gap remains. Nine in ten executives expect slower growth or weaker competitiveness if skills stand still, and over a third call the risk major. Online courses are common, with 77% of firms using them, but only 16% call their upskilling very effective.
Practice Turns Skills Into Careers
Boards can start by treating skills as an execution risk and giving a senior leader charge of the biggest gaps. CEOs already lead these decisions in 45% of the firms surveyed, while HR leads in only 11%. The best test is simple: can people work differently after learning, not just how many finished a course? Live projects, internships and practical tasks help answer that question and make the gap easier to close.
Moringa’s study of 350 graduates shows how practice can narrow the tech skills gap in real working life. Nearly eight in ten used their new skills immediately or within six months, and every employer surveyed said they would hire Moringa talent again. The share of alumni earning at least KES 100,000 a month rose from 4.3% to 24.6%. Education is only one factor, since experience, networks and the economy also matter, but the lesson is clear: skills grow when people use them.
CEO of Moringa
