The countdown to July 29 ended a little bit early for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. That’s because he’s spending the biggest day the company has seen in years 10 time zones away in Kenya.

Nadella announced the trip that coincides with the much anticipated launch of Windows 10 on Twitter, posting a picture on Tuesday from the Nanyuki Airfield. That puts him about three hours outside Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi — one of 13 cities where Microsoft is holding special launch events on Wednesday.

Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella

It’s an unusual place to go for such an important moment for Microsoft, but the company is doing all sorts of things different with this Windows launch — like the fact that it’s happening earlier in the year than usual and will be a free upgrade for many users.

Nadella’s trip almost certainly is part of the company’s “Upgrade Your World” campaign, which will give $10 million to nonprofits around the world. Several of those nonprofits, like HIV awareness group Keep A Child Alive, do work in Kenya.

Interestingly, President Barak Obama is also nearby. After spending a couple days in Kenya, Obama left for Ethiopia on Sunday.

We’ve asked a Microsoft spokesperson if Nadella and the president will be meeting during their trips, but haven’t heard back yet. This post will be updated when we do.

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