01 April 2025

Safaricom has successfully completed phase one of its data centre located in Redhill, Limuru.

The facility, which is part of a larger campus, will ultimately consist of three buildings, with the first completed building marking a significant milestone in the project.

Upon the completion of the second phase, which is expected in January 2026, Safaricom plans to offer 2.8 MW of IT capacity. However, the IT capacity for the full completed facility has not yet been disclosed. The data centre is designed to meet Tier III standards, ensuring high levels of reliability and efficiency.

In an effort to promote sustainability, the facility will utilize free cooling technology and will supplement its power requirements with solar energy. Additionally, the project includes an innovation lab intended to facilitate the testing of new ideas, although specific details regarding its operations have not been elaborated by the company.

“When we call it world-class, we’ve already been tested in terms of best practices and industry standards, and that means we play in the same league with Google and Microsoft,” said Esther Karuga, senior manager and overall lead of the Limuru facility.

The Limuru data centre is strategically located just outside Nairobi, which is already home to various data centre operators including Digital Realty, Paix, Africa Data Centres, and MTN. In addition to the new Limuru facility, Safaricom operates three other data centres in and around Nairobi, as well as facilities in Kisumu City, Thika, and Arena. Furthermore, the company has expanded its reach with two data centres in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.