Local companies are increasingly developing technology solutions internally using artificial intelligence, a trend expected to raise demand for skilled workers in Kenya.

Deloitte’s analysis of 1,300 firms that submitted entries for the 2026 CIO100 Awards found many African organisations are moving from external sourcing to building internal teams for enterprise solutions.

Arnold Ng’ang’a, senior manager for consulting services at Deloitte, said firms invest in internal development to create tailored applications, shorten turnaround times, reduce costs and simplify implementation.

AI is the leading technology investment priority for the participating organisations, enabling the shift toward in‑house development.

The move is seen as a catalyst for high‑skill job creation in AI training, cybersecurity, data annotation and AI product management.

Ng’ang’a added that the growing demand for internal solutions opens opportunities for recent graduates to join firms developing AI‑driven applications.

According to the submissions, 84.8% of firms identified AI as a priority for investment over the next 12 to 24 months.

Harry Hare, chairman of CIO Africa by dx5, noted an increase in organisations creating their own AI‑powered products and solutions.

Only 61.8% of the award projects used AI, with 25.7% employing generative AI for creating text, images and other content.

Security readiness lags behind, as just 38.6% of firms have incident‑response capabilities to address AI‑assisted cyber threats.

AI adoption rose from 54.8% in the previous year’s submissions, indicating broader uptake despite a gap between investment plans and actual implementation.

The 2026 CIO100 Awards, scheduled for next month, attracted entries from ten countries, including Kenya, highlighting regional interest in AI‑driven innovation.