Market profile
Kenya
In Kenya the Microsoft and G42 plan for Olkaria, announced in May 2024 with an initial 100 MW, was reported as stalled in May 2026 because a 1 GW site would need about a third of national supply. The government said reports of a suspension were wrong.
- Tracked project records
- 2
- Policy records
- 0
- Cloud regions
- 0
- Last checked
- 19 Oct 2026
Overview
In Nairobi, iXAfrica lists its NBOX1 campus at 22.5 MW of IT in total, with 4.5 MW live in the first building and 18 MW in the second. No national data centre capacity figure or official forecast was found for Kenya.
Grid context
Kenya has about 3,000 MW of installed capacity according to the President, who aims for 10 GW by 2030.
Latest changes
- Project 9 May 2026 Microsoft and G42 geothermal data centre (Olkaria)Government says reports of suspension are incorrect Related: Microsoft and G42 geothermal data centre (Olkaria). kbc.co.ke (opens in a new tab)
Tracked projects
| Project | Level | Stage | Operator or developer | Latest change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iXAfrica NBOX1 campus (Nairobi) | campus | Operating | iXAfrica | not disclosed |
| Microsoft and G42 geothermal data centre (Olkaria) | campus | Delayed | Microsoft, G42 | 9 May 2026: Government says reports of suspension are incorrect |
Capacity in tracked public coverage
Tracked public coverage, not a national total. Sums of reported, project-level figures from 0 of the 2 published project records we track for Kenya. Each metric and each delivery class is summed on its own and never added to another. Confirmed operating capacity never includes design or ultimate capacity. Delayed projects are never counted as under construction now. Campus and phase figures are not double counted. Ranges and upper bounds are not summed. Unknown values are not counted as zero.
None of the tracked project records for Kenya has a figure that can be summed yet. Figures with an unclear basis and undisclosed values are never added. Each project page lists its reported figures as published. Not disclosed is not zero.
Figures not counted (4) and why
- iXAfrica NBOX1 campus (Nairobi)
- IT power 4.5 MW: Marked not summable by research: IT power of NBOX1.1, live
- IT power 22.5 MW: Marked not summable by research: Campus IT power at full build
- Microsoft and G42 geothermal data centre (Olkaria)
- Other 100 MW: Basis unclear (not stated as IT, facility, grid or thermal). Never summed.
- Other 1 GW: Basis unclear (not stated as IT, facility, grid or thermal). Never summed.
Method: capacity rules. Company-wide investment, area figures and third-party market estimates are never included in these sums.
Hyperscaler and AI cloud activity in Kenya
2 tracked projects in Kenya, of which 1 involve a hyperscaler or AI cloud as owner, operator, developer or a stated or reported tenant. Part of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region on the hyperscaler and cloud hub.
| Project | Stage | Operator, developer or owner | Hyperscaler or AI tenant | Announced | Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft and G42 geothermal data centre (Olkaria) Nakuru County | Delayed Disputed | Microsoft, G42 | not stated | 2024-05 | not stated |
Capacity, forecasts and market share: Kenya
Every number is shown as published, with its basis, date and source. Figures with different bases (IT power, grid connection, electricity use) or from different sources are never added or blended. Where no figure exists we say not publicly reported. CoolPower makes no forecasts of its own.
Current capacity and pipeline
Operational, under construction and planned capacity: not publicly reported in a source we could check.
Forecasts and scenarios
Forecast: not publicly reported by a named publisher in a source we could check.
Cloud market share
Provider market share: not publicly reported. No public provider market share by country was found except mainland China (Omdia via DCD). Every other country page shows not publicly reported.
No figures to download yet. All market figures (CSV)
Cloud regions in Kenya
A cloud region is a provider's service area. It is not a data centre campus and has no MW figure here.
No cloud regions recorded.
Policy timeline
No policy records published.
Operators and developers
Sources (3), last checked 19 Oct 2026
- Microsoft and G42 data center in Kenya stalled due to lack of power capacity (opens in a new tab), DatacenterDynamics, published 7 May 2026, accessed 19 Oct 2026
- Kenya clarifies status of $1 billion Microsoft-G42 data centre project (opens in a new tab), Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, published 9 May 2026, accessed 19 Oct 2026
- Campus Specs: NBOX1, Nairobi (opens in a new tab), iXAfrica, accessed 19 Oct 2026
Last checked 19 Oct 2026 by CoolPower Index research (automated, sourced). Report a correction.