Overview
- Bloomberg reporting cited by tech outlets says the $1 billion project paused after Kenya declined to guarantee the annual capacity payments Microsoft sought.
- President William Ruto warned the facility would need power that could “switch off half the country,” underscoring the strain on the grid.
- The plan targeted a geothermal site at Olkaria with G42 building the facility to run Microsoft Azure, starting at about 100 megawatts.
- Kenya has roughly 3,000–3,200 megawatts of installed capacity and hit a 2,444 megawatt peak in January, leaving limited headroom for a large new load.
- Kenya’s ICT ministry says the project is not withdrawn and negotiations continue, with a separate 60 megawatt EcoCloud proposal still under discussion.