Kenya is strengthening its partnership with Oracle Corporation as the country accelerates plans to expand local cloud infrastructure and build a stronger pipeline of digital talent.
The renewed collaboration was highlighted during high-level talks between Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy and an Oracle delegation led by Annick Sakho. Discussions focused on speeding up the rollout of Oracle Cloud services in Kenya and expanding digital skills programmes aimed at preparing young professionals for emerging technology careers.
Kenya expects Oracle Cloud services to become commercially available from within the country in the coming months, a move officials say will strengthen digital transformation efforts across both government and private sector institutions. Local cloud infrastructure is expected to improve data sovereignty, reduce latency and support the growing demand for AI-powered services and enterprise applications.
The initiative forms part of Kenya’s broader strategy to position itself as a regional technology hub while expanding access to advanced digital infrastructure. Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau said the planned cloud infrastructure would provide “integrated, end-to-end capabilities” to support innovation and help businesses adopt more advanced digital solutions.
A key component of the partnership is the development of local digital skills. Officials say collaboration with Oracle will help establish a pipeline of certified professionals capable of supporting cloud computing, cybersecurity and emerging technologies across the Kenyan economy.
The cloud expansion is also linked to the development of Kenya’s first Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) public cloud region in Nairobi, which will be hosted at the iXAfrica data centre facility. Industry stakeholders believe the project will strengthen Kenya’s position as a leading digital gateway for East and Central Africa.
Speaking on the broader impact of the initiative, Oracle Kenya Country Leader David Bunei said organisations globally rely on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for “security, scalability, and ability to run mission-critical workloads that enable innovation at scale.”
Analysts say the partnership reflects Kenya’s growing focus on cloud adoption, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure as key drivers of economic growth and regional competitiveness.