Airtel sets ground rolling for East Africa’s largest data centre at Tatu City

Airtel Africa has officially broken ground for the construction of what it says will be East Africa’s largest data centre, a 44MW capacity facility located at Tatu City, Kenya.

Valued at approximately $150 million (Sh19.4 billion), the project is being spearheaded by Nxtra by Aritel, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airtel Africa.

The facility is poised to significantly reshape Kenya’s digital infrastructure landscape and position the country as a continental technology hub.

It will house a new generation of servers as well as high-density GPU-ready racks with 99.999 per cent uptime, feature multiple redundant fibre paths, and incorporate advanced security systems.

These seek to provide unmatched reliability and scalability for hyperscalers, enterprises and governments.

The centre will be developed in two phases of 22MW each, reaching a total site capacity of 44MW upon completion and is expected to be ready for service in the first quarter of 2027.

Notably, the stakeholders indicate that the construction phase is expected to generate hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, with additional permanent technical and operational positions to follow once the facility is up and running.

In addition, Nxtra has committed to working with local suppliers and contractors, injecting millions into the Kenyan economy, supporting the growth of the country’s technology ecosystem and enabling Kenyan businesses to compete on a global scale.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Nxtra CEO Yashnath Issur described the project as a key moment for the country, citing its transformative potential.

“This data centre will change the way Kenya looks at data centres because of the new technology we are putting in and the high capacity it has,” he stated.

He further noted that the facility’s construction underscores the telco’s vision to build world-class, AI-ready, high-density, liquid-cooled facilities that will serve as the backbone for Africa’s growing demand in cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

Nevertheless, he emphasised that the telco’s decision to establish the facility in Kenya was intentional, describing the country as the heartbeat of innovation in Eastern and Central Africa.

He also credited the Kenyan government’s forward-thinking policies and the country’s talented workforce as critical enablers of the investment.

“All these policies support we have been getting from the government, we believe that this is the right place to invest.”

On the other hand, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) affirmed the regulatory body's support, highlighting the project’s role in meeting surging demand from mobile, e-commerce, and cloud service growth.

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“This modern data centre will provide the necessary foundation to absorb this surge, supporting both regulatory functions and industry innovation,” said Peter Ikumilu, the Assistant Director Compliance at CA.

Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, also present at the groundbreaking, lauded the initiative, stressing its alignment with the government’s digital policy framework.

He categorically urged the telco to prioritise local labour in the construction phase.

“Please make sure that you utilise to the best our local labour,” Kabogo said.

He also pointed out the centre’s alignment with the Kenya Cloud Policy 2024 and National Digital Master Plan 2022–2032, describing the project as a tangible manifestation of the country's digital transformation agenda.

On his part, Airtel Kenya CEO Ashish Malhotra echoed the strategic importance of the project.

He said the facility is about empowering Kenya’s digital economy by bringing world-class infrastructure closer to home.

Malhotra emphasised the project's role in reducing barriers for startups and innovators.

“This facility goes beyond infrastructure. It reinforces Kenya’s continuing leadership in Africa’s digital revolution by improving data sovereignty, security, and efficiency,” Malhotra said.

“Once operational, it will attract global tech players, create jobs, lower the cost of digital services, and make it easier for Kenyan companies to grow, while Kenya strengthens its place as a regional hub for technology and innovation. We believe it will also create a new portfolio of services that will maximise the benefits of AI and cloud."