Oracle To Establish Public Cloud Region In Nairobi

Oracle Corporation, an American multinational computer technology company, is set to establish a public cloud region in Nairobi, Kenya, reinforcing the country’s status as a prime investment destination for global tech companies in Africa.

According to tech giant, the new public cloud region in Nairobi will help meet the growing demand for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services across Africa.

The plans for establishing the public cloud region were revealed following a meeting between the Kenyan government, led by President William Ruto, and a delegation from Oracle, led by Senior Vice-President Scott Twaddle, on Wednesday.

In a statement, President Ruto said: “Kenya will continue to facilitate technology companies seeking to set up their footprints in Africa. In line with the government’s strategy to lay 100,000km of fibre optic, provide digital jobs and digitise government services, Kenya continues to be a prime destination for international IT companies. Pleased to note that American company Oracle plans to set up a global data centre in Nairobi”.

“Oracle Corporation is set to establish its Cloud Data Centre in Nairobi, reinforcing Kenya as a top investment destination in Africa. This move enhances connectivity infrastructure, creates jobs, and marks a crucial milestone for Silicon Savannah’s progress. The Data Centre is vital for digital infrastructure, fueling government’s digital transformation and enabling digital job opportunities” John Kipchumba Principal Secretary, State Department of ICT and Digital Economy stated in a separate announcement.

The planned investment will be Oracle’s second in Africa, following its establishment of a cloud region in South Africa in 2022. It will provide a significant boost to local businesses, which will benefit from improved performance and reduced latency for their cloud-based applications.

Oracle’s decision to establish a public cloud region in Kenya signifies a vote of confidence in the country’s economy, infrastructure, and workforce, which have already attracted investments from other global tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and AWS.

David Bunei, Managing Director Oracle Kenya, Cloud Systems Leader – East and West Africa said, “ The planned public cloud region in Nairobi underscores Oracle’s commitment to Africa and aims to help drive the digital transformation of the Kenyan government, public institutions, enterprises, startups, universities, and investors in Kenya and the continent. Oracle intends to continue expanding OCI’s footprint on the continent, which already includes the Oracle Cloud Johannesburg Region in South Africa.”

Bunei stated that Oracle will be taking advantage of the Kenya’s renewable energy and digital infrastructure including abundant submarine and national connectivity.