Kenya’s .ke domain registrations are expanding at more than four times the global average, reflecting the growing push by businesses, particularly SMEs, to establish an online presence.
Figures from the Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC), which oversees the country’s .ke domain registry, show that registered domains increased by 16.06 per cent year-on-year to 129,140 in June 2026, compared with 111,268 in June 2025. This represents an additional 17,872 domains.
The growth is significantly higher than the global country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) average of 3.6 per cent during the same period. Meanwhile, established .com and .net domains grew by 5.1 per cent, while the broader global domain market expanded by 8.1 per cent.
KeNIC Finance and Strategy Manager Hildah Maina said the surge reflects rising demand for Kenyan digital identities as more businesses move their operations and customer engagement online.
Maina attributed part of the increase to efforts by accredited registrars to make domain registration and website development simpler and more accessible.
The growing use of artificial intelligence is also reducing the cost and technical expertise traditionally required to build websites. KeNIC says some registrars now provide AI-powered website builders that enable users to register a .ke domain and launch a website in under a minute.
Such tools could prove particularly useful to micro and small enterprises that may lack the resources to hire web developers or undertake expensive website projects.
KeNIC has also introduced a mobile application designed to simplify domain registration and provide users with access to additional digital services.
The registry oversees several domain extensions, including .co.ke for businesses, .or.ke for organisations and .go.ke for government institutions.
The rise in registrations comes as Kenyan businesses increasingly rely on digital platforms for marketing, payments, sales and customer interaction, making an online presence increasingly essential rather than optional.
KeNIC is targeting one million .ke domains by 2030, up from the current 129,140, with an interim goal of reaching 300,000 registrations.
The organisation is also working to increase the commercial value of .ke domains by connecting domain owners with other digital services, including cloud-based business tools.
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As part of the campaign, KeNIC has appointed Thomas Kwaka Omolo, popularly known as Big Ted, as its .ke Global Brand Ambassador. The former State House branding official and former Kenya Consul-General in Los Angeles will promote the Kenyan domain among the diaspora and in international markets.
Omolo said the .co.ke domain could help Kenyan companies establish a distinctive digital identity as they pursue customers beyond the domestic market.
The expansion of .ke registrations reflects the broader growth of Kenya’s digital economy, which increasingly encompasses retailers, manufacturers, professional service providers, creatives and small informal enterprises.
For KeNIC, the next challenge will be maintaining the momentum and turning rising interest in .ke domains into sustained adoption as it works towards its target of one million registrations by 2030.
