American tech giant Apple has employed about 23,000 Kenyans who work remotely from Nairobi, President William Ruto revealed on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Addressing delegates at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, President Ruto disclosed that the data was shared with him by Apple CEO Tim Cook during his visit to the United States in September 2023.

“When I visited Silicon Valley last year, Apple’s Tim Cook informed me that his company now employs about 23,000 Kenyans, all working from Nairobi,” he said.

Kenya’s head of state also hailed the advancements his country has made in the technology sector while drumming up support for the digital economy.

In President Ruto’s words, the digital economy is a source of remote opportunities for the youth who can earn a living without having to leave their homes.

“The digital economy is delivering attractive opportunities for young people to work for employers scattered across the world without having to leave their homes in Kenya,” President Ruto said.

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Apple has approximately 160,000 employees worldwide. Ruto mentioned during his visit that he had toured Google, Intel, and Apple, all of which were seeking online workers.

The president at the time noted that these companies were interested in employing Kenyan youth, without specifying exact numbers.