Software developer interview questions in Kenya, with how to answer

Developer interviews in Kenya usually test three things: can you write working code, can you explain your choices, and will you work well with the team. Here are the questions that come up most, grouped by stage, with how to answer them.

Tell us about a project you are proud of.

Pick one real project and tell it in order: the problem, your part, the main technical decisions, what went wrong and what the result was. Interviewers will dig into the details, so choose something you built yourself. Two minutes is about right.

How would you design a simple system, such as a payments or booking service?

Start by asking questions: how many users, what must never go wrong, what happens if a payment provider is slow. Then outline the parts: the API, the database tables, how you handle failures and retries, and how you would test it. For M-Pesa style payments, mention callbacks, idempotency (not charging twice) and reconciliation.

What happens when you type a website address into a browser?

A favourite question at every level. Walk through DNS lookup, the connection, HTTPS, the request to the server, the server's response and the browser rendering the page. Go as deep as the role needs.

How do you find and fix a bug in production?

Show a method: reproduce it, read the logs and error reports, narrow it down, write a test that fails, fix it, and check the fix in production. Mention telling the people affected while you work on it.

What are the common database and SQL questions?

Expect joins, grouping and aggregation, indexes and why they speed up queries, transactions, and how you would find slow queries. Be ready to write a query on a whiteboard or in a shared editor.

How do take-home tasks and live coding work?

• For a take-home task, finish the core first, write tests, keep the code clean and write a short README explaining your choices and what you would do with more time.
• In live coding, talk while you think, start with a simple working solution, then improve it. Ask questions if the task is unclear.
• Do not copy answers or use tools to generate the whole solution; you will be asked to explain every line.

Which behavioural questions should you prepare?

• Tell us about a disagreement with a teammate and how you resolved it.
• Tell us about a deadline you missed or nearly missed.
• How do you keep learning?
• Why do you want to work here?

Answer with a real example: the situation, what you did and the result.

What should you ask the interviewer?

Ask how the team ships code, how they review and test it, what the first three months would look like, and what problems the team is solving now. Good questions show you are thinking about doing the job well.

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