Microsoft, G42 to launch Geothermal-Powered Data Center in Kenya

Microsoft Corp. and G42 unveiled several digital investments in Kenya on Wednesday in a joint effort with the Kenyan government’s Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy.

Kenyan President William Ruto will be the first sitting African head of state to visit Washington, D.C., for nearly twenty years on Friday as part of his state visit to the United States of America. They will sign a letter of intent during his visit, formalising their relationship. Microsoft, G42, and Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy will all sign the letter of intent, which was drafted with the help of the US and UAE governments.

G42 will handle the initial $1 billion investment for the various components of the comprehensive package in collaboration with Microsoft and other stakeholders. G42 and its associates will construct a cutting-edge, environmentally friendly data centre to host Microsoft Azure in the newly formed East Africa Cloud Region, which is high on Kenya’s list of investment priorities.

Areas Microsoft and G42’s partnership will focus

Together with local partners, the initiative will pursue four additional pillars: (1) research and development of AI models in local languages; (2) establishment of an East Africa Innovation Lab with comprehensive digital skills training in artificial intelligence; (3) investments in both international and local connectivity; and (4) cooperation with the Kenyan government to ensure the safety of cloud services throughout East Africa.

Geothermal energy data centres and a cloud hub in East Africa

In Olkaria, Kenya, G42 and local partners will plan and construct a cutting-edge data centre campus that uses renewable geothermal energy and cutting-edge water conservation measures. A new East Africa Cloud Region, which will be operational within 24 months of signing the definitive agreements, will provide access to Microsoft Azure and run the data centre.

Businesses, customers, and partners in Kenya and East Africa can take advantage of this cloud region’s scalable, secure, high-speed cloud and artificial intelligence services more quickly, allowing them to transform and embrace the cloud digitally.

Building AI Models for Swahili and English

Through its data infrastructure in the US, G42 has started training an open-source large-language AI model in Swahili and English to support national economic growth and development as well as Kenya’s distinct cultural and linguistic requirements.

Using the Microsoft Africa Research Institute, the Microsoft AI for Good Lab, the Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi, and a few other universities in Kenya and East Africa, G42 and Microsoft will step up their collaboration and support for local universities in Kenya, to build on this and speed up advanced research in the country.

Release of AI-powered community services

With East African nonprofits and other partners, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab in Nairobi will employ AI technology to tackle economic and social concerns. One aspect of this will be using advanced AI techniques to improve food security.

These techniques will allow for the creation of specific fertiliser recommendations for each site, allowing farmers to increase productivity while minimising environmental impacts. In addition, we will be helping out The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with their water risk monitoring and reduction efforts in northern Kenya by utilising AI high-resolution satellite data.

The AI for Good Lab will also be working with the Kenya Red Cross Society, the Kenya Space Agency, and the National Disaster Management Unit to enhance climate resilience through the use of artificial intelligence models applied to high-resolution satellite data in the context of disaster preparedness and response. Additionally, the Lab will work with the Smithsonian and the Kenya Wildlife Trust to monitor animal populations and the spread of livestock in the vicinity of East African protected areas using AI and high-resolution satellite imagery.

East African Innovation Lab and assistance with skill development

To assist businesses, organisations, and startups in East Africa with the creation and deployment of cloud and artificial intelligence services, Microsoft and G42 will establish and run an East African Innovation Lab in Nairobi. With the help of the 500 developers working out of Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre in Nairobi, the East Africa Innovation Lab will host design sessions and fast prototyping using Microsoft tools and technology.

Microsoft and G42 will work with a diverse group of local partners to equip Kenyans with various digital and AI skills to adapt to the digital age and build a workforce that is prepared for the future. As part of this initiative, we will provide training programmes in artificial intelligence and digital technologies to all federal workers, cybersecurity to over 2,000 individuals annually, and business acumen to young adults (18–24) interested in starting their businesses. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Stanbic Kenya Foundation, MPESA Foundation, United Nations Development Alliance (Kenya), Young African Leaders Initiative, US International University–Africa, and the two businesses will build on their existing partnerships.

Access to the internet

Microsoft and G42 will maintain their partnerships with Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy as they work to increase internet access across the country. G42 and its ecosystem partners in the UAE will pool their resources to aid Kenya in building its fibre cable infrastructure domestically and internationally.

Thanks to Microsoft’s ongoing efforts, twenty million people in Kenya and fifty million across East Africa will have access to last-mile wireless internet by the end of 2025. This will expand the company’s existing relationships with local Kenyan partners such as Mawingu Networks, Liquid, and CSquared. Collaboration with M-KOPA, a leading global provider of solar home systems, will also be a part of this. Two million devices have been sold in the region through M-KOPA, a fintech financing platform that was an early adopter of the pay-as-you-go model for smartphone ownership.

Online protection, confidentiality, and security

In partnership with the Kenyan government, Microsoft and G42 will establish a “trusted data zone” based on international standards to safeguard users’ personal information, financial transactions, and other sensitive data in the cloud. This zone will cover East Africa. The new data centre will be set up in Kenya with the help of G42 and Microsoft. It will be part of a “trusted data zone” where data from other countries can still be subject to their local laws, even though they are stored and reside in Kenya.

Kenya plans to use the new data centre and cloud services for government and citizen services. The government will show its support by following other countries’ “cloud-first” policies and allowing and encouraging local entities, including government agencies, state-owned businesses, and data centres, to move their computing and data to the cloud.

Even before the G42-Microsoft services are built in Kenya, the parties will collaborate to ensure the country has enough contractual and technical guarantees to support trusted digital and sovereign cloud services from the UAE. This will allow for a rapid digital transformation.

Microsoft will offer cybersecurity support and assistance to clients in Kenya and East Africa through the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) and the Microsoft Threat Analysis Centre (MTAC), among other initiatives.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) develops AI-driven platforms and tools to meet our customers’ ever-changing demands. In pursuit of its objective of enabling every individual and every organisation on this planet to accomplish more, the tech company is devoted to the widespread and responsible distribution of AI.