Airtel Kenya has launched the construction of East Africa’s largest data centre at Tatu City, Nairobi. The $150 million facility, developed under Airtel’s data centre arm Nxtra by Airtel Africa, is designed to support hyperscale cloud computing, AI workloads, and enterprise-grade services across the continent.
“Our estimates for the first rollout alone, across two phases, are upwards of $150 million—about 18 billion shillings. It’s a big, big investment from our side,” said Ashish Malhotra, Managing Director, Airtel Kenya.
Power, Performance, and Precision
The Nxtra Nairobi facility will deliver 44 megawatts (MW) of power capacity, split into two phases of 22MW each. It will feature:
- High-density, GPU-ready racks for AI and high-performance computing
- Multiple redundant fibre paths for uninterrupted connectivity
- Design PUE below 1.4, meeting global energy efficiency benchmarks
- 99.999% uptime, ensuring near-continuous service availability
“This figure covers core infrastructure—building, cooling, and power systems,” said Yashnath Issur, CEO, Nxtra Africa. “Additional investment will be needed for the broader ecosystem.”
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Hon. William Kabogo, praised the project’s alignment with national priorities:
“The scale and quality of this facility will firmly place Kenya on the map as a trusted host for global and regional digital infrastructure. It reflects confidence in Kenya’s policies and our vision for a digitally enabled society.”
The build supports key government goals: broadband expansion, innovation hubs, and data localisation.
Economic Impact and Ecosystem Growth
The project is expected to generate hundreds of direct and indirect jobs during construction, with permanent technical and operational roles post-launch. Nxtra will engage local suppliers and contractors, injecting millions into Kenya’s economy and strengthening Nairobi’s position as a regional tech hub.
“This goes beyond infrastructure,” said Malhotra. “It strengthens data sovereignty, improves security, lowers costs, and attracts global tech players. It will help Kenyan businesses grow and unlock new AI and cloud services.”
Sustainability and Energy Resilience
Nxtra’s design prioritises renewable-heavy energy sourcing and long-term resilience.
“We’re building a facility that meets long-term digital growth needs while ensuring energy efficiency and environmental responsibility,” said Issur. “Africa’s energy mix—hydro, solar, wind—gives us the flexibility to target 100% renewable supply.”
Currently, the facility has a guaranteed 95% power output, with plans to reach full reliability by launch.
Collaboration Over Competition
Nairobi’s data centre market includes builds by Africa Data Centres, PAIX, and Google. Airtel is positioning Nxtra as a carrier-neutral, hyperscale-ready platform.
“It’s not about competition it’s about collaboration,” said Issur. “Redundancy and diversity of providers strengthen the ecosystem. Customers need choice, and quality is key.”
Nxtra’s Nairobi build is part of a pan-African footprint, with parallel developments in Lagos and Kinshasa and planned expansions in Mombasa, Kampala, and Dar es Salaam.
Major Data Centres in East Africa
| Data Centre | Location | Operator | Capacity | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nxtra by Airtel Africa | Tatu City, Nairobi | Airtel Africa | 44MW (planned) | AI-ready, GPU racks, 99.999% uptime, carrier-neutral |
| Africa Data Centres NBO1 | Sameer Park, Nairobi | Africa Data Centres | 7.5MW | Tier III certified, PCI DSS, pan-African footprint, solar-powered |
| iXAfrica Campus | Mombasa Road, Nairobi | iXAfrica | 53MW+ (planned), 18MW live | Hyperscale, AI-ready, 93% renewable grid, 40kW per rack, carrier-neutral |
| PAIX Nairobi | Nairobi CBD | PAIX | Not disclosed | Carrier-neutral, cloud interconnect, regional gateway |
| Safaricom Data Centre | Thika Road, Nairobi | Safaricom | Not disclosed | Supports Safaricom Cloud, local hosting, enterprise-grade security |
| Telkom Kenya DC | Nairobi | Telkom Kenya | Not disclosed | Government and enterprise hosting, local interconnect |
| Raxio Data Centre | Kampala, Uganda | Raxio Group | 1.5MW | Tier III, carrier-neutral, regional interconnectivity |
| Djibouti Data Centre | Djibouti City | Djibouti Telecom | Not disclosed | Strategic cable landing hub, East-West interconnection |
| Wingu Data Centre | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Wingu.Africa | Not disclosed | First carrier-neutral DC in Ethiopia, cloud gateway |
Completion Timeline: Q1 2027
Construction is expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2027, setting a new benchmark for enterprise-ready data centres in East Africa.
“By building specialized data centre capacity that meets long-term digital growth requirements in main markets, we are positioning Nxtra Africa as the go-to partner for cloud and AI workload hosting,” Issur added. “Our focus is on capacity, sustainability, and enabling secure adoption of next-gen technologies.”
