Airtel Africa has commenced construction of what will become East Africa’s largest data center, a 44-megawatt facility at Tatu City designed to handle cloud computing and artificial intelligence workloads.
The Nxtra Data Centre will feature high-density GPU-ready server racks and promises 99.999% uptime, positioning Kenya as a major player in Africa’s digital infrastructure race. The facility targets hyperscalers, enterprises, and government clients seeking reliable data processing capabilities.
Construction will proceed in two 22MW phases, with full operations expected by the first quarter of 2027. The project appears to be a significant bet on Kenya’s emerging role as a regional technology hub.
“The scale and quality of this facility will firmly place Kenya on the map as a trusted host for global and regional digital infrastructure,” said ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“Above all it is a reflection of the confidence in Kenya’s economy, policies and our vision for a digitally enabled society.”
The launch of the project comes at a time when there’s growing demand for local data processing as businesses and governments across Africa seek alternatives to overseas cloud services. Data sovereignty concerns and the need for faster response times are driving organizations to keep their operations closer to home.
Nxtra Africa CEO Yashnath Issur emphasized the facility’s technical specifications, saying, “Nxtra by Airtel is being built to the highest global standards, ensuring reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency. Beyond capacity, our focus is on sustainability and resilience, enabling customers to fully leverage next-generation technologies in a secure environment.”
Beyond technology, the economic impact will be considerable, as the construction will generate hundreds of jobs, with permanent technical positions following once operations begin. Airtel plans to source from local suppliers and contractors, injecting capital into Kenya’s economy.
The Nxtra Data Centre signals that Kenya is now moving from a consumer of digital services to a provider, which will potentially attract global technology companies seeking African operations bases.
The facility will include multiple fiber paths and advanced security systems, addressing concerns about reliability that have historically pushed African businesses toward international data centers. This could reduce costs for local companies while improving service quality.
Airtel Kenya’s Managing Director Ashish Malhotra views the project as transformative for the country’s digital landscape, which implies that it will lower costs for digital services while creating new business opportunities.
