Kenya has officially broken ground on what is set to become East Africa’s largest data centre, a 44MW facility by Nxtra Airtel Africa in Tatu City. The project marks a significant leap in the country’s ambition to position itself as a continental technology hub, particularly for cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
The facility, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, will provide the critical backbone for businesses, governments, and innovators across the region.
Government Endorsement and Policy Alignment
Speaking at the launch, Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, underscored the project’s historic scale and strategic value.
“Data centres are the digital heart of modern economies. For Kenya, this translates into business continuity, stronger data security, and the ability for enterprises to scale without heavy upfront costs. It also lays a foundation for innovation in sectors such as fintech, healthcare, agriculture, and education,” said the CS.
The project dovetails with several flagship policies:
- National Digital Master Plan (2022–2032): setting out Kenya’s roadmap for infrastructure, digital government, business, and skills.
- Kenya Cloud Policy (2024): positioning Kenya as a Cloud-First Nation, emphasising sovereignty, localisation, cybersecurity, and cost efficiency.
- National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2025): aimed at responsibly harnessing AI to boost competitiveness and innovation.
The CS stressed that the Nxtra facility will also support the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), while aligning with AU Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Private Sector Commitment
For the private sector, the investment signals long-term confidence in Africa’s digital future.
Nxtra Africa CEO, Yashnath Issur, described the project as part of Airtel Group’s strategy to deliver specialised data capacity in high-growth markets:
“We are positioning Nxtra Africa as the go-to partner for cloud and AI workload hosting, empowering businesses, supporting governments, and unlocking opportunities across the region.”
Airtel Kenya Managing Director, Ashish Malhotra, added that the facility goes beyond infrastructure:
“It reinforces Kenya’s leadership in Africa’s digital revolution by improving data sovereignty, efficiency, and security. Once operational, it will attract global tech players, create jobs, lower service costs, and support innovation.”
Strategic Importance for Data Governance
From a governance lens, the data centre strengthens Kenya’s efforts in data sovereignty and residency, reducing reliance on offshore storage while ensuring compliance with local and continental frameworks. By hosting AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads locally, Kenya can better manage risks tied to cross-border data flows while nurturing a homegrown digital economy.
Looking Ahead
As Kenya positions itself as the gateway to Africa’s digital economy, the Nxtra Airtel Africa Data Centre will serve not just as an infrastructure project, but as an enabler of policy goals and digital inclusion. Its scale and focus on cloud and AI underline Kenya’s growing role in shaping the continent’s data governance and digital transformation agenda.