The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has opened applications for its New gTLD Programme 2026 Round.
The move gives organisations worldwide, including those in Kenya and across Africa, the opportunity to own and operate custom internet domain extensions for the first time in more than a decade.
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are the suffixes that appear after the final dot in a web address. The new round allows businesses, governments, cities, and communities to apply for bespoke extensions such as .brand, .city, or .industry, giving them direct control over their digital namespace.
The last application window, held in 2012, resulted in the creation of over 1,200 new gTLDs, including brand-specific extensions such as .google and .microsoft, geographic identifiers like .berlin and .tokyo, and niche terms including .futbol and .pizza.
ICANN positions gTLD ownership as a strategic digital asset, citing benefits including control over who can register under a given domain, stronger defences against cyber threats, and brand differentiation. According to the organisation, 92 per cent of marketers recognise gTLDs as offering competitive advantages through improved trust and search engine optimisation.
“gTLDs are unique digital assets that can be used in meaningful and innovative ways to help achieve long-term goals,” said Kurtis Lindqvist, ICANN President and CEO. “Whether building a brand for a company, spotlighting a geographic region or city, or launching a business to offer domain names under a new registry, a new gTLD can be an innovative tool for commerce, security, and communication.”
The 2026 Round introduces support for Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) across 27 scripts, covering hundreds of languages including Arabic, Chinese, Devanagari, and Thai, a significant expansion aimed at making the internet more accessible to non-Latin-script users globally.
Applications are open until 12 August 2026 via ICANN’s online TLD Application Management System (TAMS). ICANN’s Applicant Support Programme (ASP) provides financial and technical assistance to eligible applicants from developing economies, including Kenya. Supporting resources, including the Applicant Guidebook, FAQs, user guides, and webinars are available on the 2026 Round Resources webpage.
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