Airtel To Build New Data Centre At Tatu City
Executives from Airtel, Rendeavour, and Government representatives at the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Nxtra by Airtel Africa 44MW Data Centre at Tatu City SEZ, Kenya.
Airtel Africa has broken ground on a 44MW Nxtra Data Centre at Tatu City, aimed at serving enterprises, government agencies, and global hyperscalers as demand for cloud services and AI infrastructure accelerates across the region.
The facility will be delivered in phases and will host GPU-ready racks, next-generation servers, and advanced security systems. Airtel said the site will guarantee 99.999 percent uptime and multiple redundant fiber paths, making it a critical addition to Kenya’s digital infrastructure.
Yashnath Issur, CEO of Data Centre at Airtel Africa, said the investment will support the growth of a “thriving digital ecosystem” across the continent. “Beyond capacity, our focus is on sustainability and resilience, enabling customers to fully leverage next-generation technologies in a secure environment,” he said.
Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra said the project is expected to attract global technology firms, reduce the cost of digital services, and accelerate adoption of cloud and AI tools in Kenya.
ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said the construction aligns with the government’s agenda to expand broadband access and strengthen the country’s digital economy.
The launch comes amid a surge in data centre investment in Kenya, driven by rising internet penetration, cloud adoption, and IoT services. Other recent projects include Microsoft’s $1 billion partnership with G42 to develop a green data centre and Schneider Electric’s collaboration with iXAfrica Data Centres to build East Africa’s first hyper cloud facility.
Why Tatu City
Tatu City, a Special Economic Zone boosts of 95 percent renewable energy availability. The city operates a 135MVA power substation with 99.7 percent uptime and provides 24/7 industrial water supply, stormwater management, international-standard roads, and over 120km of secure underground fibre.
Stephen Jennings, Founder and CEO of Rendeavour, the developer of Tatu City, said Airtel’s choice validates the city’s decade-long investment in sustainable infrastructure. “Airtel’s decision to locate Nxtra here is a powerful endorsement of our vision to build East Africa’s digital backbone,” Jennings said.
Tatu City’s renewable energy mix, including one-third solar power, combined with Kenya’s predominantly green national grid, positions it among the most sustainable global locations for digital infrastructure.
