Microsoft has named Catherine Muraga as the new Managing Director of the African Development Centre (ADC), the company's key engineering hub based in Nairobi.
With over 15 years in IT, Muraga replaces Jack Ngare, who led the ADC since its 2019 establishment. She expressed enthusiasm for the role, stating, "I am excited to be joining the ADC at this particular time and look forward to continuing the tremendous work that has already begun."
Previously, Muraga served as head of engineering at Stanbic Bank Kenya and South Sudan, and held leadership roles at Sidian Bank. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Africa Nazarene University and completed executive programs at Columbia Business School and Oxford University.
The ADC, which relocated to Dunhill Towers on Waiyaki Way in March 2022, now operates from an upgraded facility housing engineering, research, and innovation teams. The space includes the Microsoft Garage incubation hub and the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI).
The center has expanded to 450 full-time employees since its 2019 launch, focusing on software engineering, machine learning, and data science.
