PMI Kenya Champions Skills Development for Next Generation of Project Leaders

Kenya faces a significant shortage of project management professionals, with a need for an additional 79,000 to 102,000 by 2035. According to the Project Management Institute's 2025 Global Project Management Talent Gap report, the country's project professional workforce must grow from approximately 150,000-151,000 to between 223,000 and 247,000 over the next decade. This growth is driven by increasing demand across infrastructure, construction, technology, manufacturing, and other sectors.

The Project Management Institute's (PMI) Kenya Summit and Gala Awards 2026, held in Nairobi, brought together industry leaders and practitioners to address the evolving demands of the profession. The event, themed "Strategy to Execution: Driving Value Through Project Excellence," aimed to celebrate community achievements and examine how project excellence can advance national development. George Asamani, Managing Director of PMI Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized the importance of project management in translating strategic ambitions into tangible outcomes.

Asamani highlighted the need for skilled, ethical, and accountable professionals who can ensure investments deliver sustainable impact. He noted that project management is fundamental to how countries, organizations, and communities achieve their goals. The profession's role in driving development and delivering results is critical, particularly in Africa, where the development agenda is accelerating. Asamani also emphasized the importance of learning from project failures and addressing weaknesses in planning, governance, oversight, and execution.

Maureen Ochang, PMI Kenya Chapter President, noted that the growing demand for project professionals presents an opportunity to strengthen Kenya's talent pipeline, particularly among young professionals. She emphasized the need for deliberate investment in skills, competencies, and leadership capabilities to meet demand. Ochang called for the preparation of young professionals not just to participate in projects but to lead them and deliver measurable results.

PMI Kenya seeks to be a strategic partner to organizations, communities, and government in strengthening project delivery and ensuring investments translate into tangible economic and social value. The institute champions accountability, effective governance, risk management, and quality assurance, particularly in sectors such as construction, where execution gaps can lead to building collapses, infrastructure failures, and loss of lives.

The PMI Kenya Summit and Gala Awards also celebrated the achievements and performance of the PMI Kenya Chapter and its wider professional community. The awards recognized outstanding individuals and organizations, showcasing excellence, innovation, and the contribution of project professionals to successful project delivery. The event strengthened a community committed to advancing professional standards and creating lasting impact.

The demand for project professionals extends across the region, with Sub-Saharan Africa requiring between 4.1 million and 4.6 million project professionals by 2035, up from approximately 2.6 million in 2025. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies project managers among occupations driving employment growth through 2030. Collaboration between professional associations, universities, employers, and industry will be essential in aligning education and professional development with emerging needs.

Key points

• Kenya needs an additional 79,000 to 102,000 project management professionals by 2035.
• The Project Management Institute's Kenya Summit and Gala Awards 2026 aimed to celebrate community achievements and examine how project excellence can advance national development.
• PMI Kenya champions accountability, effective governance, risk management, and quality assurance to strengthen project delivery and ensure investments translate into tangible economic and social value.