Digital Realty, the real estate investment trust and carrier-neutral data center platform, has opened its Nairobi Two Data Center (NBO2) in Kenya, expanding its campus in the capital city. At the same time, iColo, an African data center provider, has become a part of the Digital Realty brand in Kenya and Mozambique.
According to a press release, NBO2 has a capacity of 6.2 MW and sits alongside the existing NBO1 data center. The facility has up to 4,000 square meters of IT space, contributing to the 34,000 square meters of space Digital Realty has planned for the Nairobi campus.
“Digital transformation depends on infrastructure that is local, connected and globally scalable,” said Marcel Louw, Digital Realty Managing Director for Africa. “This campus gives businesses the foundation to bring data, applications and partners closer together, whether they are serving customers in Kenya, across Africa or around the world.”
The folding of iColo into Digital Realty has been in the making since 2019. Interxion Holding, a European provider of carrier and cloud-neutral colocation data center services at the time, agreed to acquire a controlling stake in iColo in December 2019 with the remaining shares held by Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund (PRIF) and iColo management. In March 2020, Digital Realty acquired Interxion and inherited the majority position. PRIF, through its PRIF Africa Holdings Limited investment holding company, has invested in data centers in East and West Africa through iColo and Digital Realty.
“The opening of NBO2 and our transition to Digital Realty are part of one story: the continued growth of Kenya’s digital economy and iColo’s evolution within a global platform,” said Wanja Muriithi, Country General Manager, Kenya. “By combining our strong local ecosystem in Nairobi with Digital Realty’s global brand, we are giving customers the ability to grow in Kenya while connecting with the broader communities of carriers, clouds, content providers and enterprises that are shaping the global digital economy.”
The NBO2 data center enables connections to over 100 networks, two internet exchange points, and a satellite teleport. The satellite teleport adds redundancy in the event that terrestrial connectivity is limited.
Kenya had 15 MW of data center capacity in 2025 with Mordor Intelligence forecasting the market will grow to 25 MW by 2030. Cloud adoption, digitalization, and hyperscaler commitments are driving this growth, supported by connectivity through new subsea cable landings and renewable energy sourcing.