iXAfrica Data Centre Limited has announced a collaboration with Oracle to host Kenya’s first Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) public cloud region in Nairobi, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital infrastructure development.
The new cloud region, first announced in January 2024 by William Ruto, is expected to meet growing demand for cloud services in Kenya and the wider East and Central African region. By hosting OCI locally, iXAfrica will enable businesses and government agencies to run cloud-based applications with lower latency while complying with data sovereignty requirements.
Oracle selected iXAfrica as its colocation partner, citing the facility’s readiness to support hyperscale cloud deployments. The Nairobi-based data centre is described as a carrier-neutral, AI-ready facility built to global cloud standards, with high-density computing capability, resilient power systems and close proximity to key connectivity infrastructure.
Snehar Shah, Chief Executive Officer of iXAfrica, said the company is moving into execution phase to bring OCI services to Kenya, leveraging the country’s renewable energy resources, skilled workforce and extensive submarine and national connectivity networks.
The collaboration is expected to accelerate digital transformation across multiple sectors, allowing organisations to deploy latency-sensitive applications and develop AI-powered services closer to end users. Industry analysts say local hosting of public cloud infrastructure reduces reliance on overseas data centres and strengthens national digital resilience.
David Bunei, Oracle’s Country Leader for Kenya, said governments and enterprises worldwide rely on OCI for its security, scalability and ability to handle mission-critical workloads. He noted that the partnership with iXAfrica would help support the continued growth of Kenya’s digital economy.
Construction, power systems and connectivity infrastructure at the iXAfrica facility are already at advanced stages, positioning the data centre to support hyperscale cloud platforms. The project is seen as a significant step in reinforcing Nairobi’s status as a regional technology hub and expanding access to enterprise-grade cloud services across Africa.
