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Airtel Kenya broke ground Monday on East Africa’s largest data centre, a $150 million facility at Tatu City that will strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional technology hub and support the growing demand for cloud and artificial intelligence services.
The 44-megawatt Nxtra Data Centre, developed through Airtel Africa’s data infrastructure arm, will serve hyperscalers, multinational corporations, and government agencies when it becomes operational in the first quarter of 2027.
The Tier III-plus facility promises 99.999% uptime and will feature next-generation servers, GPU-ready racks for artificial intelligence workloads, multiple redundant fiber paths, and advanced seven-layer security systems. The centre is designed to meet international standards for cloud computing and enterprise-scale services.
Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra described the investment as a significant milestone in Kenya’s digital infrastructure development during the groundbreaking ceremony attended by government officials, industry leaders, and technology innovators.
The project addresses rapidly growing demand for data hosting services across East Africa as businesses increasingly adopt cloud computing, artificial intelligence applications, and digital transformation initiatives. The facility will position Kenya to capture a larger share of Africa’s expanding data centre market.
Tatu City Special Economic Zone has established itself as East Africa’s data centre hub, providing the infrastructure and regulatory environment necessary for large-scale technology investments. The location offers strategic advantages including fiber connectivity and reliable power supply for data-intensive operations.
Construction of the facility is expected to generate employment opportunities and stimulate local supply chains during the development phase. Once operational, the centre will create highly skilled technical positions and increase demand for supporting industries including energy and ICT equipment sectors.
The data centre aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which prioritizes digital transformation as a key driver of economic growth. Government leaders view the project as reinforcing Kenya’s “Silicon Savannah” reputation as the region’s technology leader.
Nxtra Africa CEO Yashnath Issur emphasized the facility’s role in supporting East Africa’s digital economy growth by providing world-class infrastructure for cloud and AI services. The investment demonstrates Airtel’s long-term commitment to the region’s technology development.
The facility will feature high-power density racks capable of supporting demanding computational workloads including machine learning, data analytics, and artificial intelligence applications. These capabilities address growing enterprise needs for advanced computing infrastructure.
Energy efficiency forms a core component of the design, incorporating sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact while maintaining operational reliability. The facility’s design reflects industry best practices for modern data centre operations.
For enterprises and investors, the data centre creates new opportunities in Kenya’s expanding digital economy. The infrastructure supports fintech companies, startups, and data-driven industries requiring reliable, high-performance computing resources.
The project signals expanding private equity interest in African technology infrastructure as international investors recognize the continent’s digital growth potential. Kenya’s strategic location and regulatory environment make it attractive for regional technology investments.
Airtel Africa’s investment builds on its existing telecommunications infrastructure across the continent, extending its services into data centre hosting and cloud services. This vertical integration strengthens the company’s position in Africa’s technology ecosystem.
The facility’s capacity to serve hyperscalers positions Kenya to attract major cloud service providers seeking African market presence. These partnerships could accelerate digital transformation across various sectors including healthcare, education, and financial services.
Regional governments and businesses will benefit from locally hosted data services that reduce latency and improve performance for critical applications. Local hosting also addresses data sovereignty concerns as organizations seek to maintain control over sensitive information.
The groundbreaking represents a milestone in East Africa’s digital infrastructure development, supporting the region’s integration into the global digital economy while creating local economic opportunities and technological capabilities.
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