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Unit Group (L4) • 2542

2542 — Artificial Intelligence (Ai)/Machine Learning (Ml) Professionals

2 PROFESSIONALS› 25 Information and Communications Technology Professionals› 254 Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing Professionals› 2542 Artificial Intelligence (Ai)/Machine Learning (Ml) Professionals

Explore overview, tasks, skills, education, work context, earnings, and pathways for this Unit Group.

L4 CODE: 2542
Job summary
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)/Machine Learning (Ml) Professionals (KeSCO 2542) supports outcomes in the Information & Communication Technology sector by applying job-specific knowledge
  • standards
  • and tools to deliver quality services or outputs. Duties and complexity vary by employer
  • work setting
  • and seniority level
  • but the occupation generally requires reliability
  • competence
  • and continuous learning.
Minimum entry requirement summary
Diploma or Bachelor’s degree
Future outlook
  • Future trends such as digital transformation
  • automation
  • climate resilience
  • and changing consumer needs are shaping most occupations. Workers who continuously upskill (digital literacy
  • quality standards
  • safety
  • customer service
  • and modern tools) are more resilient and competitive.
Sectors and industries
Information & Communication TechnologyProfessional ServicesPublic SectorPrivate SectorNGO/DevelopmentSpecialised Practice
Employment prospects (narrative)
  • Prospects depend on national and county demand
  • sector investment
  • policy priorities
  • and supply of trained workers. Job seekers improve prospects by gaining practical experience
  • building a portfolio or track record
  • earning relevant certifications
  • and being flexible on location and sub-sector.
Key tasks (structured)
  • Gather and analyse user requirements and translate into specifications
  • Design system components, data flows, and integrations
  • Develop, test, and deploy software/features or configuration changes
  • Maintain systems, troubleshoot issues, and resolve incidents
  • Implement security controls and good practices (access, backups, patching)
  • Monitor performance, reliability, and availability; optimise where needed
  • Document technical work, user guides, and operational procedures
  • Support users through training, helpdesk, and troubleshooting
  • Collaborate using version control, code reviews, and agile workflows
  • Ensure data protection, privacy, and compliance requirements
Core skills
  • Communication (verbal and written)
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking
  • Time management and prioritisation
  • Attention to detail and accuracy
  • Customer service orientation
  • Integrity and ethical conduct
  • Adaptability and continuous learning
  • Decision-making and judgement
  • Documentation and record-keeping
  • Digital literacy (basic)
  • Safety awareness and compliance mindset
Technical / occupational skills
  • Computer applications and productivity tools
  • Systems analysis and design
  • Programming/software development fundamentals
  • Database concepts (SQL/NoSQL basics)
  • Networking fundamentals
  • Cybersecurity basics (access control, safe coding, patching)
  • Testing/QA and debugging
  • Version control and collaboration workflows
  • API/integration concepts
  • Cloud fundamentals and deployment basics
  • Data analysis fundamentals
  • Documentation and technical writing
Transferable / soft skills
  • Leadership and supervision (as one progresses)
  • Negotiation and stakeholder management
  • Conflict resolution
  • Presentation and public speaking
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Planning and organisation
  • Resilience and stress management
  • Service mindset and empathy
  • Networking and relationship building
  • Analytical thinking
  • Professionalism and work discipline
Skills & competencies (general description)
  • Prospects depend on national and county demand
  • sector investment
  • policy priorities
  • and supply of trained workers. Job seekers improve prospects by gaining practical experience
  • building a portfolio or track record
  • earning relevant certifications
  • and being flexible on location and sub-sector.
Certifications, licenses & registration
  • Vendor-neutral cybersecurity/networking certifications (role dependent)
  • Cloud platform fundamentals certifications (role dependent)
  • Database certifications (role dependent)
  • Software testing/QA certifications (optional)
  • Secure coding and application security training (optional)
Education & training pathways (narrative)
  • Diploma or Degree in ICT/Computer Science/Software Engineering
  • Portfolio projects + internships/junior roles
  • Role-aligned certifications (networking/cloud/security) to specialise
  • Progression: junior → mid → senior → lead/architect/manager
  • Continuous learning to keep up with technology changes
Education pathways (structured)
  • Diploma or Degree in ICT/Computer Science/Software Engineering
  • Portfolio projects + internships/junior roles
  • Role-aligned certifications (networking/cloud/security) to specialise
  • Progression: junior → mid → senior → lead/architect/manager
  • Continuous learning to keep up with technology changes
Minimum entry requirements
  • Minimum education: Diploma or Bachelor’s degree
  • Basic literacy and numeracy (reading, writing, and basic calculations)
  • Good conduct, reliability, and professional behaviour
  • Ability to follow instructions, procedures, and workplace rules
  • Basic digital literacy where the role uses computers/phones
  • Physical/medical fitness where the role is physically demanding or safety-sensitive
  • Regulatory registration/licensing where required (profession-dependent)
  • Background checks/clearance for sensitive roles where applicable
Relevant courses to consider
  • Certificate/Diploma/Degree in Information Technology
  • Computer Science / Software Engineering
  • Information Systems
  • Data Science / Statistics fundamentals
  • Networking (CCNA-aligned content)
  • Cybersecurity fundamentals
  • Database Administration
  • Cloud Computing fundamentals
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Web and Mobile Development
  • DevOps fundamentals
  • AI/ML fundamentals
  • UI/UX Design fundamentals
Institutions where to learn
  • Universities (accredited public and private universities offering relevant programmes)
  • National Polytechnics and TVET institutions (diploma, certificate, artisan programmes)
  • Technical Training Institutes and Vocational Centres
  • Professional Colleges and Accredited Training Academies
  • Sector Training Authorities and Recognised Centres of Excellence
  • Employer-based Academies and Apprenticeship Programmes
  • Online Learning Platforms (supplementary; verify recognition for regulated fields)
  • Industry Associations and Professional Bodies (short courses/CPD)
Work environment & conditions (narrative)
  • Workplace policies
  • Team collaboration
  • Quality standards
  • Office/remote
  • Computer-based
  • Project delivery
  • Incident response
  • Documentation
Typical employers / places of work
  • ICT companies
  • public and private organisations
  • start-ups
  • innovation hubs and outsourcing firms.
Work setting
Not specified.
Work schedule
Full-time commonDaytime hours commonDeadlines possible
Employment type
Formal employment possible
Salary ranges
Entry
KES 50,000 – 120,000
Mid
KES 120,000 – 250,000
Senior
KES 250,000+
Earnings, wages & prospects (narrative)
  • Entry-level typical range (illustrative): KES 50,000 – 120,000
  • Mid-level typical range (illustrative): KES 120,000 – 250,000
  • Senior/experienced typical range (illustrative): KES 250,000+
  • Earnings vary by employer (public/private), location, allowances, commissions, overtime, risk factors, and scarcity of skills
How to become one
  • Complete a degree in the relevant discipline
  • undertake internships or graduate programmes and meet any professional registration or licensing requirements.
Career progression
  • Entry/Intern → Junior Practitioner → Mid-level → Senior Specialist
  • Senior Specialist → Team Lead/Principal → Manager/Head of Unit (where applicable)
  • Some pathways include consultancy, research, training, or policy roles
Related & alternative occupations
  • Other occupations within the same KeSCO major group
  • Support roles in the same sector/industry
  • Supervisory roles related to this occupation’s work area
  • Specialist variants of the same occupation (where they exist)
Occupation titles
2542-12 — Artificial Intelligence Engineer
2542-13 — Big Data Developer/Engineer/Architect
2542-15 — Computer Vision Engineer
2542-11 — Machine Learning Engineer
2542-17 — Machine Vision Engineer
2542-16 — Natural Language Processing Engineer
2542-14 — Robotics Engineer