Tech firms launch country first sovereign cloud to protect sensitive data

Tech industry leaders launch a platform in Nairobi to advance data sovereignty and AI capacity. [File,Standard]

For decades, African governments and businesses have had little choice but to send their most sensitive data to servers thousands of kilometres away. Kenya has now changed that.

Three technology firms, Atlancis Technologies, Everse Technology (EverseTech) and iXAfrica Data Centres, launched Servernah Cloud, Kenya’s first sovereign-hosted cloud and artificial intelligence platform designed for regulated and mission-critical workloads.

The platform is hosted within the iXAfrica data centre on Mombasa Road in Nairobi.

The launch, which came ahead of the AI Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya 2026 summit in May, marks a break from a long-standing pattern across the continent, where even government institutions relied on offshore providers to process and store public data.

The development also reflects Kenya’s deepening technology and investment ties with the United Arab Emirates, which has expanded its footprint across Africa through digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and development partnerships.

“The UAE’s partnerships across Africa are well established, spanning more than 50 countries in areas such as sustainable energy, food security, infrastructure, education, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and healthcare,” said Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, the UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A core goal of Servernah Cloud is to shift the region from an AI consumer to an AI producer.

“This deployment is a defining moment in Africa’s AI infrastructure story,” noted Snehar Shah, chief executive officer of iXAfrica Data Centres.

“It shows that the foundation for Africa’s intelligent future is being built here, and it is now live for the market,” he added.

Michael Michie, co-founder and chief executive of EverseTech, observed that locally built infrastructure was changing the terms on which Kenya engaged with global technology partners.

“Local infrastructure changes the conversation. Kenya is no longer approaching partnerships only as a consumer of foreign technology. We can increasingly engage as a country that has infrastructure, talent, and a growing market,” explained Michie.

He added that African data sovereignty should not mean cutting off global cooperation.

“For Africa, sovereignty should not mean isolation. It should mean managed interdependence. We will continue to work with global partners, but we should be deliberate about what we control locally, particularly sensitive data, critical workloads, governance and skills,” said Michie.

Paul Statham, commercial director at Atlancis, said the platform was built to be resilient, secure and scalable.

“The journey to digital sovereignty requires massive investments in people, hardware and software infrastructure. In partnership with ecosystem players, we have built Servernah Cloud as Africa’s sovereign cloud to meet Africa’s growing needs in AI and high-performance cloud computing,” noted Statham.

Kenya’s Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2026, is currently before the Senate, giving the launch added policy context as lawmakers weigh how to regulate a technology already reshaping public administration, healthcare and financial services.

The AI Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya summit convened over 15,000 delegates in Nairobi, with participants drawn from governments, enterprises and startups across the continent.

Speaking at the event, John Tanui, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Information, Communications and Technology and Digital Economy, captured the national ambition.

“We have laid the necessary infrastructure as a nation to ensure that Kenya thrives as a leading tech hub in the continent and the world,” said Tanui.