Data Centre Tier Ratings: Tier I to IV Explained
Tier I to IV ratings define data centre reliability from basic to fault-tolerant. Most Kenyan facilities target Tier III. What each tier means.
9 minAug 2026
THE FULL LIBRARY
All Articles
Every Data Centre 254 article in one place — beginner guides, market analysis, connectivity, energy, policy and the physical systems inside the machine room. Grouped by topic.
105 articles · Updated Sept 2026
What Is 5G? From 1G to 6G, and Why It Matters in Kenya
5G explained in plain language: what the G means, the full history from 1G to 5G, why each generation mattered in Kenya, and the 6G future.
11 minSept 2026
Data Centre Security: Physical, Network, Compliance
Data centre security runs on three layers: physical access, network defences, and compliance frameworks like ISO 27001. How Kenyan facilities compare.
12 minAug 2026
What Is a Data Centre SLA? Uptime Guarantees
What a data centre SLA is, how 99.9% and 99.999% uptime guarantees translate to real downtime, and what Kenyan operators commit to.
14 minAug 2026
What Is a Server? The Machines Powering the Internet
A server is a specialised computer that serves other computers over a network. The types, how they differ from PCs, and why they live in data centres.
10 minAug 2026
What Is Colocation? Renting in a Kenyan Data Centre
Colocation lets you rent space, power, cooling, and connectivity in a professional data centre. How it works in Kenya and what it costs.
11 minAug 2026
What Is a Hyperscale Data Centre?
What hyperscale data centres are, how they differ from enterprise and colocation sites, and why Kenya has not yet attracted AWS or Google.
12 minAug 2026
What Is a Data Centre? A Plain-Language Guide
A data centre is a specialised building housing the computers behind every app, website, and digital service you use. How they work, explained.
10 minAug 2026
Data Centre Physical Security in Kenya: The Layers
How Kenyan data centres stack physical defences: perimeter, guards, biometrics, mantraps, CCTV retention, rack locks and audit logs. What to verify on a site tour.
10 minSept 2026New
ISO 27001 for Data Centres in Kenya: What It Takes
What ISO 27001 certification requires from a Kenyan data centre: the ISMS, the audit cycle, the physical controls, and how it maps to the Data Protection Act.
9 minSept 2026New
What Can Hit a Kenyan Data Centre, and the Fix
DDoS, ransomware, data harvesting, insiders and physical intrusion: the attack types that hit Kenyan data infrastructure, real examples, and the defences that work.
11 minSept 2026
Digital Realty's NBO2: The 'Gateway' Claim, Tested
Digital Realty formally launched NBO2 in Nairobi on 7 September 2026. What the launch delivers: verified capacity, interconnection, ramping reality.
8 minSept 2026
Safaricom Data Centres: Red Hill, Waiyaki Way and M-Pesa
Where does M-Pesa actually run? Inside Safaricom's Waiyaki Way hub and the Red Hill campus in Limuru, and how they differ from carrier-neutral Kenya.
13 minAug 2026
Colocation in Kenya: Why Companies Rent, Not Build
Colocation lets Kenyan banks, telcos and fintechs house critical systems without building. How Nairobi's carrier-neutral market works and how to choose.
10 minAug 2026
Kenya Data Centre Market: USD 266M to USD 805M by 2031
Arizton's March 2026 forecast puts Kenya's data centre market at USD 266M in 2025 and USD 805M by 2031. We cross-check the numbers against the ground truth.
8 minSept 2026
iXAfrica: Kenya's First Hyperscale AI-Ready Facility
iXAfrica operates East Africa's first hyperscale, AI-ready data centre on Mombasa Road, Nairobi. Actis-backed NBOX1 targets 22.5 MW.
12 minAug 2026
How Data Centres Make Kenya East Africa's Digital Hub
Submarine cables, renewable energy, skilled workforce, and growing capacity make Kenya East Africa's natural digital hub for 300 million people.
12 minAug 2026
Colocation Data Centres in Nairobi: A Buyer's Guide
How to lease rack space in a Nairobi data centre: what Tier III means, which facilities are operational, what to check, and the questions to ask before signing.
9 minSept 2026
Raxio vs Africa Data Centres in Kenya: A Fair Comparison
Raxio and Africa Data Centres are both expanding in Kenya, but they stand at different stages today. A fact-checked, plain-English comparison for Kenyan buyers.
8 minSept 2026
Amaco's Mombasa AI Data Centre: A Floating Power Plant
A Greek energy firm plans a $1.5 billion AI data centre in Mombasa with its own floating power plant. What is confirmed, what is not, and why it matters.
9 minSept 2026
Colocation Pricing in Kenya: What a Rack Costs
How Kenyan colocation is priced: per rack, per kilowatt, retail versus wholesale, what drives the bill, and honest benchmark ranges to judge quotes against.
10 minSept 2026
Under Attack: Would You Even Notice a DC Breach?
Five realistic attack scenarios at a Kenyan data centre: how each unfolds, how fast anyone notices, who responds, and what tenants would actually feel.
11 minSept 2026
Disaster Recovery for Kenyan Businesses: A Playbook
Cable cuts, grid trips and floods are normal Kenyan events. A practical disaster recovery and business continuity playbook built for Kenyan conditions, not textbook ones.
11 minSept 2026
East Africa's Data Centres Compared: The 2026 Guide
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia compared: facilities, operators, power, cables and policy. Where East Africa's data capacity actually sits today.
11 minSept 2026
Kenya's Data Disasters: Breaches That Made History
From the 2017 election hacking claim to the 2025 companies registry breach: Kenya's documented data disasters, what actually happened, and how each ended.
12 minSept 2026
Microsoft and G42 in Kenya: The $1B Story So Far
Microsoft and G42 promised Kenya a $1 billion data centre and a new cloud region. What was announced, why it stalled in 2026, and what comes next.
10 minSept 2026
VPS Hosting in Kenya: Providers That Take M-Pesa (2026)
A plain-English guide to VPS hosting in Kenya with M-Pesa payments: verified local providers, starting prices, and how to choose. Updated September 2026.
8 minSept 2026
Kenya's Data Centre Market in Numbers (2026)
The verified numbers behind Kenya's data centre market: 27 tracked facilities, six independent estimates compared, and what each measures.
9 minSept 2026
Why Kenya's Data Centres Cluster in Nairobi and Mombasa
23 of Kenya's 27 tracked data centres sit in two cities. The three forces behind the cluster: where cables land, where the grid is, where demand lives.
9 minAug 2026
Kenya Data Centre Market Outlook 2025-2030
Kenya's data centre market is projected to grow from $180M to $450M by 2030. The investment drivers, expansions, and opportunities behind the curve.
14 minAug 2026
AmCham 2026: $600M US Pledges, Oracle Cloud, iColo $80M
AmCham 2026 delivered $600 million (Sh77.5bn) in one-day US pledges for Kenya, headlined by Oracle's first African cloud region and iColo's $80M project.
7 minSept 2026
Why Kenya's Data Centre Market Estimates Disagree
Six research firms value Kenya's data centre market from $266M to $606M. We fetched every report page and explain exactly why the numbers diverge.
13 minSept 2026
MEA Colocation Market Surges to $12.88 Billion by 2031
Arizton values the Middle East and Africa colocation market at $3.33bn in 2025, rising to $12.88bn by 2031. Where Nairobi fits in.
8 minSept 2026
Africa Data Centres: Operations in Kenya and Beyond
Africa Data Centres, a Cassava Technologies company, operates colocation facilities in Nairobi and Mombasa within a 40+ site Pan-African network.
11 minAug 2026
Liquid Intelligent: The Backbone of Kenya's Data Centres
Liquid Intelligent Technologies runs Africa's largest fibre network and Nairobi data centres, connecting Kenya to 13+ countries and subsea cables.
12 minAug 2026
Wingu Africa: Kenya's Edge Data Centre for Cloud
Wingu Africa operates a carrier-neutral edge data centre in Nairobi built for cloud-on-ramp, CDN, and enterprise workloads. What it offers.
10 minAug 2026
Data Centre Due Diligence in Kenya: A Checklist
A due diligence checklist for choosing a Kenyan data centre: power, cooling, connectivity, security, and compliance, before you sign.
14 minAug 2026
Kenya Digital Economy and Data Centre Demand Drivers
The macroeconomic forces driving data centre demand in Kenya, from M-Pesa and fintech to 5G, e-commerce, and government digitisation.
13 minAug 2026
Konza Technopolis and Kenya's Data Centre Future
Inside Konza Technopolis, Kenya's 5,000-acre smart city: purpose-built infrastructure, SEZ incentives, and what it means for data centres.
15 minAug 2026
Cloud Services in Kenya: AWS, Azure, Google Compared
No global cloud provider runs a region inside Kenya. Compare AWS, Azure and Google Cloud on latency, data residency and pricing for Kenyan workloads.
14 minAug 2026
Which Submarine Cables Land at Mombasa? 7 Live Systems
TEAMS, SEACOM, EASSy, LION2, DARE1, 2Africa and PEACE land at Mombasa. Landing stations, capacities, and why Africa-1 is not counted as live yet.
11 minAug 2026
Meta's Petal Cable: 1 Pbps and What It Means for Kenya
Meta's Petal cable will carry 1 petabit per second across the Atlantic by 2029. It doesn't land in Africa: here's why it still changes Kenya's connectivity math.
8 minSept 2026
Starlink in Kenya: What It Means for Data Centres
Starlink reached 25,000 Kenyan subscribers by March 2026. How satellite internet fits enterprise networks, backup links and disaster recovery, and where fibre still wins.
9 minSept 2026
Africa's Fibre Is Built: Now Comes the Hard Part
WIOCC's $300m raise, Kenya's 2.1m fixed lines: the hard part of Africa's fibre boom is what comes after the build, from prepaid plans to wholesale billing.
8 minSept 2026
Bypassing the Red Sea: Berbera's Backup Route for Kenya
Somcable lands 2Africa and PEACE at Berbera and is building terrestrial routes into Ethiopia and South Sudan. What a northern alternative means for Kenya's cable risk.
8 minSept 2026
How to Reduce Cloud Latency for Users in Kenya
Why Kenyan users feel slow apps, and how to fix it: edge locations in Nairobi, CDNs, AWS Local Zones and local hosting, explained in simple English.
8 minSept 2026
Fibre Networks and Kenya's Data Centre Last Mile
Kenya's 15,000+ km of fibre connects its data centres to the world. Operators, pricing, redundancy, and the last-mile challenges that decide speed.
13 minAug 2026
KIXP: How Kenya's Internet Exchange Keeps Traffic Local
KIXP is the Kenya Internet Exchange Point. It keeps local internet traffic inside Kenya, reducing latency and costs. Here is how it works and why it matters.
10 minAug 2026
5G Networks and Data Centre Demand in Kenya
How Kenya's 5G rollout by Safaricom and Airtel is driving demand for edge data centres, MEC nodes, and expanded colocation infrastructure.
14 minAug 2026
Kenya Internet Speeds: What They Mean for Data Centres
Kenya's average mobile internet speed tops 25 Mbps. How speeds shape data centre demand, user experience, and digital competitiveness.
11 minAug 2026
Why Power Reliability Shapes Kenya's Data Centres
Africa's problem is grid reliability, not generation. How uptime engineering, geothermal baseload and on-site power shape Kenya's data centres.
10 minSept 2026
Kenya's Renewable Energy Meets Data Centre Demand
Renewables overtake coal globally in 2026 as data centres drive demand. Kenya enters that moment with a 90%-renewable grid, a green data centre edge.
9 minAug 2026
Geothermal Energy in Kenya: Power for Data Centres
Kenya draws about 45% of its electricity from geothermal energy, giving data centres some of the world's lowest-carbon power. How the Rift Valley does it.
12 minAug 2026
Kenya Power Tariffs for Data Centres: Rates & Benchmarks
Kenya Power's industrial tariffs shape data centre operating costs. The tariff structure, demand charges, negotiation, and regional comparison.
12 minAug 2026
Solar Power for Data Centres in Kenya: The Economics
Kenya's strong solar irradiance makes PV compelling for data centres. The economics, hybrid configurations, battery storage, and feasibility.
13 minAug 2026
Kenya Power and Data Centres: The Electricity Constraint
Kenya's geothermal advantage attracts data centres, but grid reliability and transmission bottlenecks remain the biggest obstacle to growth.
12 minAug 2026
Dangote's Lamu Power Plant and Kenya Data Centres
Aliko Dangote announced a 1,000 MW power plant at the proposed Lamu refinery, with 500 MW potentially for the grid. What it means for Kenya's data centre power problem.
9 minSept 2026
Ethiopia Power Exports and Kenya Data Centres
Ethiopia plans to double electricity exports to Kenya. What 400 MW of regional power could mean for data-centre capacity, cost and reliability.
8 minSept 2026
Inside Olkaria's Geothermal Data Centre Corridor
Why hyperscale projects are looking past Nairobi's grid to Olkaria's geothermal wells, what stalled the Microsoft and G42 build, and the latency math.
9 minSept 2026
Data Centre PUE Explained: Power Efficiency in Kenya
PUE is the key metric for data centre energy efficiency. How it is calculated, what good values look like, and how Kenyan facilities improve.
11 minAug 2026
UPS Systems and Backup Power for Kenyan Data Centres
A guide to UPS systems in Kenyan data centres: types, battery technologies, sizing, redundancy, generators, and Kenya-specific challenges.
14 minAug 2026
Data Centre Certifications Worth Having in Kenya
Guide to data centre certifications in Kenya, CDCP, CDCS, CCNP, AWS, Azure, PMP, with KES costs, local trainers, exam requirements, career impact.
14 minAug 2026
IBTC's Data Centre Academy: Kenya's Talent Pipeline
IBTC's Data Centre Academy signed iXAfrica and IMEX in Nairobi. How the EU-backed source-train-place pipeline works, who pays, and what graduates get.
8 minSept 2026
The Software Data Centre Technicians Actually Use
DCIM, BMS, monitoring, ticketing, NetBox and more: the software behind every Kenyan data centre job, what each tool does, and free ways to practise before you are hired.
10 minSept 2026
Keppel's US$1.2B Tokyo Deal: Signal for African Capital
Keppel DC REIT is paying 190 billion yen for two Tokyo hyperscale facilities. The deal metrics are the benchmarks African assets must meet.
8 minSept 2026
Career Progression Paths in African Data Centres
Realistic career ladders in Africa's data centre industry, from cable technician to VP of Operations, with Kenyan salary ranges and certifications.
12 minAug 2026
How to Get a Job in a Kenyan Data Centre
The certifications, skills, salary ranges, and hiring pathways for data centre careers in Kenya, from network engineer to facility manager.
12 minAug 2026
Starting a Data Centre Business in Kenya
Starting a data centre company in Kenya takes KES 500M-2B+, an NFP-T2 licence, land, and a market strategy. The investment and regulatory steps.
14 minAug 2026
Women in Data Centres: Kenya's Technical Workforce
Gender diversity in Kenya's data centre industry: current participation, barriers, career pathways, and the initiatives driving change.
13 minAug 2026
Data Centre Careers in Kenya: Jobs and Certifications
Kenya's data centre industry needs facility engineers, cooling specialists, and network architects. The roles, certifications, and entry paths.
11 minAug 2026
Large Language Models in Kenya: Compute and Sovereignty
Which Kenyan organisations are adopting LLMs, the compute they need, and why data-sovereignty rules under Kenyan law decide where models can run.
14 minAug 2026
AI Data Centres in East Africa: Kenya's Position
AI needs compute close to users. Kenya's submarine cables, geothermal power, and growing digital economy make it East Africa's natural AI data centre hub.
11 minAug 2026
DigitalOcean's AI Cloud and Kenya's Hosting Market
DigitalOcean's AI bet shows in its numbers: $894M in reservations, AI ARR up 212%, 155 MW committed. What the megawatt race means for Kenyan hosts.
9 minSept 2026
GPU Computing in Kenya: Why AI Needs Data Centres
AI workloads demand GPU-dense data centres at 20-40kW per rack. Kenya's emerging GPU infrastructure and the use cases driving demand.
13 minAug 2026
GPU Cloud Infrastructure in Kenya: A Simple Guide
Why Kenya needs local GPU power for AI, what the law says about keeping data home, and which facilities are actually built for it, in plain English.
8 minSept 2026
AWS Commits $1.5bn to Africa: The Compute Gap Behind It
AWS has committed $1.5bn to African infrastructure through 2029, on top of $819m since 2018. The leapfrog analogy is appealing, and incomplete.
8 minSept 2026
US Backs Africa's AI Data Centre Push: Where Kenya Fits
The US is backing AI data centre deals across Africa as power limits bite at home. Lesotho, Gabon, Ivory Coast, and where Kenya fits.
8 minSept 2026
PwC's $31.6 Trillion Forecast: Where Kenya Fits In
PwC projects $31.6 trillion of data centre capex through 2050, and Africa's $255bn share is the only non-AI bet. Kenya's grid is the quiet edge.
9 minSept 2026
MTN and Al Ashram's Africa Data Hub, Explained
MTN Group and Dubai investor Tarek Al Ashram launched Africa Data Hub to build AI data centres, starting with 150MW in Nigeria and South Africa.
8 minAug 2026
AI Ethics and Governance for Data Centres in Kenya
Kenya's AI governance landscape is evolving fast. What the regulatory developments and sector-specific concerns mean for data centre operators.
16 minAug 2026
AI Model Training in Kenya: Use Cases, Infrastructure
How Kenyan organisations are pursuing AI model training locally, the infrastructure gaps they face, and what GPU-ready data centres will take.
12 minAug 2026
Machine Learning in Kenyan Banking: The Data Centre Link
Kenyan banks and fintechs use machine learning for fraud detection, credit scoring, and analytics. The infrastructure behind the models.
12 minAug 2026
Data Centre Design and Build in Kenya: Site to Handover
The full data centre design and build process in Kenya: site selection, feasibility, MEP design, commissioning, Kenya Power connection, and NEMA EIA.
12 minAug 2026
Why Africa Only Hosts 5.5% of the World's Data Centres
The IMF counts about 160 data centres in Africa: 5.5% of the global total. We read the report: electricity is the constraint and Kenya is the test case.
9 minSept 2026
US DFC Bets Up to $155M on WIOCC: Kenya's Windfall
The US DFC is putting up to $155m into WIOCC, its largest ever equity deal. What the money means for Kenya's bandwidth, open access and data centres.
10 minSept 2026
LuLu Cable: Kenya's 500km Coastal Route Beyond Mombasa
The LuLu sea cable: a 500km coastal route from Mombasa to Lamu with five landing points and 144 fibre pairs. What is confirmed, and why it matters.
8 minSept 2026
G2M Fibre Route Is Live: An East-West Data Artery
Paratus Group's 2,000 km Goma-to-Mombasa fibre route is live, linking DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya to subsea capacity. Why it matters.
8 minSept 2026
Data Centre Cabling Standards and Practices in Kenya
A guide to structured cabling standards, copper and fibre best practices, testing protocols, and certification for data centres in Kenya.
18 minAug 2026
Data Centre Interconnection and Peering in Kenya: KIXP
How interconnection and peering work in Kenya: KIXP, peering vs transit economics, cross-connects, and why Nairobi is East Africa's hub.
13 minAug 2026
Edge Computing in East Africa: Bringing Compute Closer
Edge computing places smaller facilities closer to end users, cutting latency for real-time apps. How the edge is emerging in East Africa and Kenya.
11 minAug 2026
Fire Suppression Systems in Kenyan Data Centres
An in-depth guide to fire detection and suppression in Kenyan data centres: clean agents, VESDA, regulatory requirements, real installations.
20 minAug 2026
Where Should Kenya's Next Data Centre Be Built?
Nairobi hosts 80% of Kenya's data centre capacity. Mombasa, Kisumu, and Konza each offer advantages. The factors behind site selection.
13 minAug 2026
Data Centre Cooling: How Servers Stay Cool in Kenya
Cooling can eat up to 40% of a data centre's energy. From CRAC units to liquid cooling, how Kenyan facilities keep servers at optimal temperature.
10 minAug 2026
Data Centre Regulation in Africa: 5 Countries Compared
Compare how Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Rwanda regulate data centres: licensing, data protection, tax incentives, and lessons for Kenya.
14 minAug 2026
CA Consultation: Standalone Data Centre Licence
The CA's 30-day consultation on a standalone Data Centre licence would move colocation out of the NFP-T2 regime. Fees, timeline, implications.
9 minSept 2026
Kenya's Data Centre and Compute Hub Plan, Explained
Kenya's ICT Principal Secretary says the cables are done and compute is next. We break down his plan, the numbers and what is actually built.
10 minSept 2026
Kenya on the Continental Pipeline: The Next Decade
Kenya has 186 projects worth about $172bn in AUDA-NEPAD's infrastructure database, including a $395m Mombasa data centre hub. What the registry shows.
10 minSept 2026
Kenya Data Sovereignty and Data Localisation
Kenya's data sovereignty rules under the Data Protection Act 2019: cross-border transfer limits, sector obligations, and data centre demand.
12 minAug 2026
Tax Incentives for Data Centres in Kenya
The tax incentives for data centre development in Kenya: SEZ benefits, VAT exemptions, capital allowances, and how they compare regionally.
20 minAug 2026
Europe's Digital Playbook for Africa: Kenya's Part
A new EU security institute brief maps how Europe wants to partner on Africa's digital infrastructure and AI, with Ghana and Kenya as test cases.
10 minSept 2026
Africa's Data Centre Boom: Managing the Disputes Risk
Less than 1% of global data centre capacity sits in Africa, and investors are racing in. HSF Kramer maps the dispute risks: power, land, water.
8 minSept 2026
Building Codes for Data Centres in Kenya
The building codes and approvals that govern data centre construction in Kenya: county permits, NCA registration, NEMA EIAs, and fire safety.
14 minAug 2026
Kenya Data Protection Act: What Data Centres Must Know
Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019 sets real obligations for data centres: consent, localisation, breach notification. What it means for operators.
13 minAug 2026
Kenya ICT Policy and Data Centre Industry Impact
Kenya's ICT policy environment and its impact on data centres: the Digital Masterplan, licensing, cybersecurity strategy, and African comparisons.
18 minAug 2026
Kenya Data Centre Licensing: NFP-T1 and NFP-T2 Explained
Kenya now requires data centre operators to hold an NFP-T2 licence (KES 15M, 15-year term). What the CA framework means for operators and investors.
12 minAug 2026