Kenya is currently facing a significant cybersecurity workforce gap.
As a result, banks are left vulnerable to cyberattacks, technology teams are overwhelmed with workloads, and response times to incidents are slowing down.
Interestingly, one of the major causes of this problem lies in the inadequacy and excessive rigidity of employers and hiring systems.
The Barrier of Certifications and Experience
Cybersecurity job postings often come with high expectations, including multiple certifications and many years of experience.
Even candidates who meet these requirements are subjected to additional challenges such as solving puzzles on a whiteboard, demonstrating knowledge of complex algorithms, or completing coding tests under pressure.
Only a few candidates make it through these steps. However, this doesn’t mean the applicants lack skill—it shows that the interview process is designed to exclude them.
Artificial Interview Environments Fail to Measure Real Talent
These types of interviews assess how candidates perform in artificial, high-pressure environments rather than evaluating actual talent.
This puts candidates who think differently, communicate in nontraditional ways, or prepare for interviews differently at a disadvantage.
In Kenya, certifications are also often mandatory for cybersecurity jobs.
Yet certifications like CISSP can cost more than several months’ salary for an entry-level IT professional.
Geographic and Educational Discrimination
Moreover, feedback during the hiring process is extremely limited.
Applicants from outside Nairobi or those who did not graduate from universities such as JKUAT or Strathmore are often dismissed without proper consideration.
Additionally, the heavy focus on algorithm-based interview questions ignores valuable real-world experience and system administration skills.
The Real Problem: Not the Number of Talented Professionals, But the Hiring Process
For all these reasons, the perceived “talent shortage” in Kenya might actually be based on artificial grounds.
Employers claim they are searching for candidates who meet specific standards and present their applications in the “right” format.
But in reality, many skilled professionals who can perform the job already exist.
What truly needs to be questioned is not the number of talents available, but how fair, flexible, and efficient the hiring processes really are.