Kenya’s Planned AI Data Hub Sparks Water-Use Concerns Around Lake Naivasha
The proposed Microsoft-G42 data centre near Lake Naivasha has been put on hold, raising worries that its water demand could worsen local shortages.
A joint Microsoft and UAE-based G42 data centre project slated for Olkaria near Lake Naivasha was delayed in May 2026 because of power-capacity concerns and the absence of a disclosed water-use plan. The venture, part of a $1 billion digital investment pledge, was to run on geothermal power and potentially reach 1 gigawatt, but locals worry it will intensify water scarcity that already affects households, farms and schools.
Community members such as Musa Olorkedienye and Isaac Leshishi report reliance on water vendors and long treks for livestock, while experts like Grace Kimani and Silas Wanjala warn that additional industrial abstraction could repeat the near-drying of the lake in 2010. Kenya Electricity Generating Company’s Frank David Ochieng said the design stage is ongoing, but regulators and the project’s promoters have not provided details on consumption or cooling methods. Calls for water-efficient or water-free cooling, recycling and community monitoring have grown as the region’s groundwater declines and climate variability worsens.
Why it matters
The project could strain a lake already facing scarcity, affecting households, agriculture and tourism in Kenya.
In this story
