Airtel Africa has officially broken ground on East Africa’s largest data centre at Tatu City, Kenya through its data centre arm Nxtra by Airtel Africa. The new facility will meet the region’s growing demand for cloud and AI services and will be a game-changer in Kenya’s digital ecosystem.
A Big Bet on Africa’s Digital Future
The Nxtra Data Centre will have a planned 44 megawatts (MW) power capacity, making it a major hub for digital infrastructure. The state-of-the-art facility will have high-performance servers, GPU-ready racks and 99.999% uptime to handle the most demanding workloads from hyperscalers, enterprises, governments. With multiple redundant fiber paths and advanced security measures, the centre will be highly reliable and scalable.
A Step in Kenya’s Digital Plan
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Hon. William Kabogo, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of ICT commended the project, saying it aligns with the government’s digital agenda to expand broadband, promote innovation and drive the digital economy.
"This scale and quality of the facility will put Kenya on the map as a trusted host for global and regional digital infrastructure. Above all, it shows the confidence in Kenya’s economy, policies and our vision for a digitally enabled society," said CS Kabogo.
Long-term Commitment to Africa’s Digital Future
Yashnath Issur, CEO of Nxtra Africa said the data centre is part of Airtel Africa’s long-term commitment to the continent’s digital future.
"By building specialized data center capacity to meet the long-term digital growth requirements in key markets, we are positioning Nxtra Africa as the go-to partner for cloud and AI workload hosting. We will power businesses, support governments and unlock opportunities for communities across the region," said Issur.
The facility will be built to global standards with focus on reliability, scalability and energy efficiency. Sustainability and resilience will be core principles to support next-generation technologies in a secure environment.
Two Phases, Hundreds of Jobs
The Nxtra Data Centre will be built in two phases. Each phase will add 22 MW and the total capacity will be 44 MW upon completion. The data centre will be fully operational by Q1 2027.
Once operational, the facility will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs and permanent roles in technical and operational sectors. Nxtra Africa will also work with local suppliers and contractors, injecting millions into the Kenyan economy and supporting the country’s growing tech ecosystem. This will also enable Kenyan businesses to compete globally.
Kenya’s Place in Africa’s Digital Journey
"This facility goes beyond infrastructure. It reinforces Kenya’s leadership in Africa’s digital revolution by improving data sovereignty, security, and efficiency. It will attract global tech players, create jobs, reduce the cost of digital services, and make it easier for Kenyan companies to grow," said Malhotra.
He added that once operational, the centre will offer a new range of services that will leverage AI and cloud to make Kenya a regional tech and innovation hub.