Airtel Africa, through its data center arm Nxtra by Airtel Africa, has officially broken ground on the construction of a data center at Tatu City. The facility is being built to meet the growing demands of cloud and AI services.
With a planned power capacity of 44 megawatts (MW), the Nxtra Data Center will be equipped with new generation servers and high density, GPU-ready racks. The center promises a 99.999% uptime and will feature multiple redundant fiber paths and advanced security systems, providing exceptional reliability and scalability for hyperscalers, enterprises, and governments.
Hon. William Kabogo, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of ICT, lauded the project, stating that it aligns perfectly with the government’s vision of expanding broadband connectivity and fostering a thriving digital economy.
“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 Hon. Kabogo. “Above all, it is a reflection of the confidence in Kenya’s economy, policies, and our vision for a digitally enabled society.”
This groundbreaking marks a significant step in Airtel Africa’s strategy to strengthen the continent’s digital backbone and democratize cloud services. Yashnath Issur, CEO of Nxtra Africa, emphasized that this investment is part of a long-term commitment to the continent’s digital future.
“By building specialized data center capacity…we are positioning Nxtra Africa as the go-to partner for cloud and AI workload hosting,” Issur stated. “Beyond capacity, our focus is on sustainability and resilience, enabling customers to fully leverage next-generation technologies in a secure environment.”
The facility will be developed in two phases of 22MW each and is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2027. The project will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs during construction, with additional permanent roles once the center is up and running. Nxtra will also collaborate with local suppliers and contractors, injecting millions into the Kenyan economy and helping local businesses compete on a global scale.
Ashish Malhotra, Managing Director of Airtel Kenya, added that the data center will reinforce Kenya’s leadership in Africa’s digital revolution by improving data sovereignty, security, and efficiency. He anticipates the facility will attract global tech players, lower the cost of digital services, and further establish Kenya as a regional hub for technology and innovation.