Nairobi's New Data Centre Set to Boost East African Digital Connectivity

2026-09-08 region

Nairobi, 8 September 2026
Digital Realty has launched its 6.4-megawatt NBO2 data centre in Nairobi, significantly boosting East Africa’s cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure to support the region’s growing digital economy.

Expanding the Digital Footprint in East Africa

On Monday, 7 September 2026, US-listed data centre operator Digital Realty officially opened its Nairobi Two data centre (NBO2) in Kenya [2][3][5]. The state-of-the-art facility adds 6.4 megawatts (MW) of capacity to the company’s Nairobi campus, spanning 1,100 square metres (12,000 square feet) [3]. It is situated alongside the existing NBO1 facility in the Karen area of the city, which opened in September 2019 and features 624 square metres of floor space [3]. This brings the Nairobi campus’s total operational floor space to 1724 square metres [3]. The expansion is specifically designed to meet the growing regional demand for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, financial technology, and digital payments [2][4][5].

A Strategic Transition to Global Standards

The launch of NBO2 coincides with the integration of iColo’s operations in Kenya and Mozambique under the global Digital Realty brand [1][3][5]. iColo originally became part of the group after Interxion acquired a controlling stake in the business in 2019 [3]. Wanja Muriithi, Country General Manager for Kenya at Digital Realty, highlighted that the opening of NBO2 and the brand transition are key milestones in the growth of Kenya’s digital economy, linking local businesses to a global platform [1][3]. The campus also incorporates sustainable infrastructure, building on previous green initiatives such as the 450-kilowatt solar panel array deployed at the Nairobi site in 2024 [3].

Enhancing Regional Connectivity and Sovereignty

The expanded Nairobi campus offers robust cross-border connectivity, linking customers to more than 100 networks, two internet exchange points, and a satellite teleport [1][3][5]. This satellite infrastructure is particularly vital for extending internet access to areas lacking terrestrial networks, thereby supporting digital livelihoods, remote learning, and mobile reliability for remote communities and refugee-hosting areas [1][3]. By providing carrier-neutral interconnection, the facility allows internet service providers, financial institutions, and cloud providers to seamlessly exchange data [4]. Furthermore, NBO2 is designed to support sovereign data strategies, allowing local data processing while providing secure gateways to global cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud [1].

Supporting National Economic and Policy Goals

The launch of NBO2 directly aligns with the Kenyan government’s ‘Digital Superhighway’ agenda, which prioritises digital public services, connectivity, and the creative economy to position the country as East Africa’s primary tech gateway [2][4]. The opening ceremony on 7 September 2026 attracted high-profile local and international delegates, including Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology Philip Thigo, Communications Authority of Kenya Director General David Mugonyi, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia, and U.S. Embassy Nairobi Chargé d’Affaires Susan M. Burns [2]. John Kipchumba Tanui, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, reiterated that the government will continue developing policies to attract digital investments and unlock opportunities for tech-savvy young people [2][4][6].

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digital infrastructure internet connectivity