Airtel Starts Work on 44MW East Africa Data Centre Hub
Nxtra by Airtel begins construction on a 44MW sustainable data centre at Tatu City Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kenya.
The facility is designed to position Tatu City as East Africa’s leading data centre hub, powered by 95% renewable energy.
This makes the location one of the most sustainable for investors and clients in the global digital infrastructure market.
The Nxtra Data Centre facility will be built in phases and is set to deliver 44MW of IT power capacity.
It will host next-generation servers and high-density GPU-ready racks, alongside features such as 99.999% uptime, multiple redundant fibre paths and advanced security systems.
"Kenya’s digital future is bright, and today we took a bold step forward," says H.E. Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, writing on X.
"Once completed in the first quarter of 2027, this facility will be the largest in East Africa, with a capacity of 40MW strategically positioning Kenya as a continental technology hub.
"Beyond strengthening business continuity and data security, the Data Centre will unlock innovation in AI, High-Performance Computing, fintech, healthcare, education, agriculture, and public services.
"It is a major enabler of the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) by driving digital inclusion, supporting enterprises, and boosting Kenya’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
"Kenya is ready for the digital demands of tomorrow."
A hub built for digital growth
Tatu City has invested heavily in utilities to provide the conditions required for hyperscale data centres.
Its infrastructure includes a 135MVA power substation and distribution network with 99.7% uptime, 24/7 water supply for industries, international-standard storm water systems, 70km of modern roads and more than 120km of secure underground fibre.
These developments form the foundation for the city’s role as East Africa’s data centre hub.
"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,” says Stephen Jennings, Founder and CEO of Rendeavour, the owner and developer of Tatu City.
“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."
Airtel’s regional ambition
Nxtra by Airtel represents the largest data centre project in East Africa to date.
"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,” says Yashnath Issur, CEO, Data Centre at Airtel Africa.
“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."
This emphasis on energy efficiency is backed by Tatu City’s renewable power supply.
More than 95% of its energy comes from sustainable sources, with one-third generated directly from solar power.
Combined with Kenya’s predominantly renewable national grid, the city delivers one of the cleanest and most reliable energy mixes available to the region’s data centre sector.
A location designed for enterprise
Tatu City is home to more than 25,000 people who live, work and study across its developments.
It includes 4,500 completed homes, schools serving 6,000 students and a business community representing more than KES 400bn (US$3.1bn) in investment.
Companies operating from the SEZ range from multinationals to regional leaders, including:
- Emirates Logistics
- Heineken
- Cold Solutions
- FullCare Medical
- Hounen
- CCI Global
- Dormans
- Kärcher
- Naivas
- NCBA
- Grit Real Estate Income Group
- Hewatele
- Freight Forwarders Solutions
- Tamarind Group
- ADvTECH
- Friendship Group
- Bakels
- Novis
- Davis & Shirtliff
The SEZ framework provides strong incentives for enterprises.
Businesses based in Tatu City benefit from a corporate tax rate of 10% for the first 10 years and 15% for the following 10 years, compared with Kenya’s standard rate of 30%.
Additional advantages include VAT zero-rating on goods and services, plus exemptions on import duty and stamp duty.
These benefits, combined with sustainable infrastructure and international connectivity, create an environment designed to attract hyperscale providers, cloud operators and enterprise customers.
Airtel’s Nxtra facility becomes the anchor project in this strategy, confirming Tatu City’s role as a central hub for East Africa’s growing data centre market.
