Kenya will need an additional 79,000 to 102,000 project management professionals by 2035 as demand for skills in infrastructure, construction, technology and other sectors increases, according to the Project Management Institute (PMI), highlighting the growing importance of workforce development and project governance in delivering the country’s economic ambitions.
The projections, drawn from PMI’s 2025 Global Project Management Talent Gap report, indicate that Kenya’s project professional workforce could expand from approximately 150,000–151,000 to between 223,000 and 247,000 over the next decade. The figures formed part of discussions at the PMI Kenya Summit and Gala Awards 2026, held in Nairobi on November 6 under the theme “Strategy to Execution: Driving Value Through Project Excellence“.
The summit brought together industry leaders and project practitioners to examine the skills required to translate organisational strategies and development investments into measurable outcomes, at a time when Kenya faces increasing demands for infrastructure delivery, public sector efficiency and private sector transformation.
George Asamani, Managing Director of PMI Sub-Saharan Africa, said the profession had a central role in ensuring that investments generated tangible economic and social benefits, while warning that weaknesses in planning, oversight and execution could undermine development outcomes.
Project management is fundamental to how countries, organisations and communities translate their ambitions into tangible results,” Asamani said, adding that failures in project delivery could result in wasted resources, infrastructure deficiencies and loss of lives.
The issue has implications beyond professional workforce expansion. Kenya’s development agenda relies on projects spanning transport, energy, housing, digital infrastructure and public services, where delays, cost overruns and inadequate oversight can increase fiscal pressures and limit the economic returns from investment.
According to the World Bank, governance weaknesses and corruption continue to impose significant costs on Kenya’s economy, including through higher fiscal deficits, additional borrowing and increased government financing costs. These pressures reinforce the importance of effective procurement, project planning and accountability in determining whether public investments deliver their intended value.
For Kenya, strengthening project management capabilities could therefore support more efficient use of public resources, improve infrastructure quality and reduce execution risks. However, the expansion of the profession will depend not only on the number of trained practitioners, but also on whether institutions can integrate professional competencies into project design, implementation and monitoring.
Maureen Ochang, President of the PMI Kenya Chapter, said rising demand presented an opportunity to build a stronger pipeline of young professionals equipped to manage increasingly complex projects.
She said investment in skills, competencies and leadership would be necessary to prepare professionals to take responsibility for project delivery and achieve measurable results.
The demand is also expanding across the region. PMI estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa will require between 4.1 million and 4.6 million project professionals by 2035, compared with approximately 2.6 million in 2025, representing potential growth of 56% to 75%.
The regional outlook reflects the scale of investment and economic transformation expected across African markets, where infrastructure development, industrialisation, energy expansion and digitalisation require coordinated planning and implementation. As projects become more complex, shortages of qualified professionals could constrain execution capacity and increase reliance on external expertise.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies project managers among occupations expected to drive employment growth through 2030. The report also estimates that 39% of workers’ existing skills will be transformed or become outdated by 2030, while 63% of employers identify skills gaps as a major barrier to business transformation.
These changes are increasing demand for analytical thinking, digital literacy, artificial intelligence, risk management, strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement. For African economies, the challenge is to align education and professional development with these evolving requirements while ensuring that emerging skills translate into stronger institutional and operational capacity.
In sectors such as construction, project management has direct implications for public safety and infrastructure resilience. Weak planning, supervision or compliance can contribute to structural failures, disrupted services and additional costs for governments, businesses and communities. Stronger project governance can help address these risks, although professional certification alone cannot substitute for effective regulation, enforcement and institutional accountability.
Ochang said collaboration between professional associations, universities, employers and industry would be essential to aligning training with market needs. Mentorship, practical experience and internationally recognised certifications could help young professionals develop the capabilities required to lead projects.
The summit’s awards also recognised individuals and organisations within the PMI Kenya professional community, highlighting achievements in project delivery and the contribution of practitioners to organisational performance.
For Kenya and the wider region, the growing demand for project professionals presents both a labour market opportunity and a capacity challenge. Expanding the talent pipeline could support employment and improve the delivery of infrastructure and services, but the economic benefits will depend on whether institutions can convert skills into better planning, transparent execution and projects that deliver lasting value.
As African governments and businesses pursue development priorities amid fiscal constraints and rising expectations for service delivery, the ability to manage projects effectively is becoming an increasingly important component of economic performance and institutional resilience.
