Airtel Kenya Breaks Ground on East Africa’s Largest Data Centre

Airtel Kenya , in partnership with its data centre subsidiary Nxtra by Airtel Africa , has officially broken ground on the construction of a 44MW sustainable data centre at Tatu City Special Economic Zone (SEZ), marking a major milestone in Kenya’s digital transformation journey.

Once complete, the Nxtra facility will be the largest data centre in East Africa, delivering 44MW of IT power capacity in phases. The centre will host next-generation servers and GPU-ready high-density racks, built to achieve 99.999% uptime with multiple redundant fibre paths, advanced security systems, and a strong focus on energy efficiency.

A Green Hub for Digital Infrastructure

The facility will be powered by Tatu City’s provision of 95% renewable energy, one-third of which is generated directly from solar power. Combined with Kenya’s predominantly renewable national grid, this makes Tatu City one of the cleanest and most sustainable locations for data centre investors globally.

Tatu City, developed by Rendeavour, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in world-class infrastructure, including a 135MVA power substation with 99.7% uptime, a 24/7 industrial water supply, comprehensive stormwater management, 70km of international-standard roads, and over 120km of secure underground fibre. The SEZ also offers businesses significant incentives, including a 10% corporate tax rate for the first 10 years and 15% for the following 10 years, alongside VAT zero-rating, import duty, and stamp duty exemptions.

“For more than a decade, we have invested in world-class infrastructure and sustainable energy at Tatu City to make it the natural home for data centres in East Africa. Airtel’s decision to locate Nxtra here is a powerful endorsement of this vision. As Nxtra joins over 100 global and local companies already thriving at Tatu City, we are confident that many more data centres will follow. Together, we are building the secure, scalable, and sustainable digital backbone that Africa needs for its economic transformation.”

-Stephen Jennings, Founder & CEO, Rendeavour 

“By building the largest data centre in East Africa, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving digital ecosystem that empowers businesses, supports governments, and unlocks new opportunities for communities across the region. Nxtra by Airtel will be 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.”

-Yashnath Issur, CEO, Data Centre, Airtel Africa.

Driving Kenya’s Digital Future

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Hon. William Kabogo, CS Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy, Mr. Peter Ikumilu, Acting Assistant Director General of the Communications Authority, alongside Airtel and Rendeavour executives. Leaders highlighted the project’s role in strengthening Kenya’s reputation as the “Silicon Savannah” and advancing the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Today, more than 25,000 people live, work, and study at Tatu City, which hosts over KES 400 billion in investments from companies such as Heineken, Naivas, Emirates Logistics, Dormans, NCBA, Cold Solutions, CCI Global, and more. Nxtra’s arrival further cements Tatu City’s position as East Africa’s premier digital hub.

Airtel Kenya emphasized that this investment reaffirms its long-term commitment to the growth of Kenya and the wider East African region, with a focus on serving customers better, powering businesses, supporting governments, and unlocking opportunities for communities across Africa.