Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) has opened a 30-day public consultation on a proposal to introduce a standalone licensing category for data centres, as the country’s digital infrastructure ecosystem continues to expand.
The regulator currently licenses commercial data centres under the Network Facilities Provider-Tier 2 (NFP-T2) framework. Under the new proposal, the CA would establish a dedicated Data Centre licence covering entities that provide co-location data centre services and related support services.
According to the CA, the proposed licence would provide greater regulatory clarity and visibility over data centre operations, support continued investment in digital infrastructure and bring Kenya’s licensing framework closer to proportionate approaches adopted in other jurisdictions.
Stakeholders and members of the public have 30 days from the publication of the notice to submit written comments.
The consultation builds on the CA’s broader review of Kenya’s telecommunications market structure. In 2025, the Authority consulted on proposed changes to its Unified Licensing Framework, including regulating data centres. The revised framework subsequently placed commercial data centres within the NFP-T1 and NFP-T2 categories.
The latest proposal would mark a further shift, creating a licensing category specifically designed for co-location data centre operations rather than regulating them solely under the broader network facilities framework.
The proposed licensing changes come as Kenya seeks to strengthen its position as a regional hub for data centres, cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The country is benefiting from expanding terrestrial fibre networks, improved connectivity, renewable energy availability and growing regional demand for digital services. Industry players operating in Kenya include Safaricom, Oracle, Liquid Intelligent Technologies and iColo, alongside government-backed infrastructure such as the Konza National Data Centre.
The CA’s proposal reflects the growing strategic importance of data centres to Kenya’s digital economy and could provide a more specialised regulatory framework for an industry attracting increasing levels of investment.
If adopted, the dedicated licence would mark another significant step in modernising Kenya’s ICT regulatory regime, as data centres become increasingly central to cloud services, AI, connectivity and the wider digital economy.
