Kenya's local web identity gains ground as .ke domain registrations climb 16% in a year

Kenya’s .ke domain growth has accelerated well beyond the pace seen across much of the world’s country-code internet market, with local registrations climbing 16.06% in a year as more businesses establish websites under Kenya’s national web identity. The latest figures from the Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC) show the registry added 17,872 domains between June 2025 and June 2026, taking the total from 111,268 to 129,140, while the global country-code top-level domain market grew by an average of 3.6%.

The comparison places Kenya’s local domain market at roughly four and a half times the global average for country-code domains during the same period. It also outpaced the 5.1% growth recorded by the established .com and .net domains, although newer generic top-level domains expanded much faster globally at 34%.

Kenya’s local web identity outpaces global growth

KeNIC says the performance reflects stronger demand for Kenyan digital identities as registrars simplify the process of getting businesses online.

Hildah Maina, KeNIC’s Finance and Strategy Manager, speaking on behalf of chief executive Andrew Lewela, said the organisation had invested in helping registrars modernise their platforms so businesses and individuals could establish an online presence with fewer technical barriers.

“We have seen our own registry, that is the .ke registry, growing by 16 per cent in the last H1 as compared to the last H1 in 2025. And when you compare it to the global market, the ccTLD overall grew by 3.6 per cent,” she said.

The June figures build on momentum that had already become visible earlier in the year. By March 2026, .ke registrations had reached 124,498, representing 5.4% growth in a single quarter, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya’s Sector Statistics Report.

Commercial businesses dominate .ke registrations

The Communications Authority data also shows that commercial registrations account for the overwhelming majority of Kenya’s local domains. The .co.ke extension represented 110,687 registrations by March, far ahead of government, education, and non-profit domains.

That commercial concentration helps explain why domain growth has become closely tied to broader business digitisation, with websites serving as entry points for online payments, customer discovery, and cloud-based operations.

The wider ICT landscape also points to a larger digital foundation supporting that expansion. Kenya had 52.85 million mobile broadband subscriptions by March 2026, while mobile broadband consumption exceeded 800 million gigabytes during the quarter. Smartphone connections reached 50.2 million devices, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all phones connected to mobile networks.

Fixed internet connections also continued to expand, reaching 2.66 million subscriptions during the same period.

AI tools make website creation faster

KeNIC attributes part of the faster adoption to new tools developed by accredited registrars that combine domain registration with artificial intelligence-powered website creation.

According to Maina, some registrars now allow businesses to register a .ke domain and generate a website in less than a minute, reducing both the time and technical expertise needed to establish an online presence.

The registry has also introduced a .ke mobile application designed to simplify domain registration and provide access to digital products that support businesses moving online.

KeNIC offers several extensions tailored to different users, including .co.ke for commercial businesses, .or.ke for organisations, .go.ke for government institutions, and .me.ke for personal websites.

The organisation has also partnered with Zoho to give .ke domain holders access to cloud-based business tools, extending the value of domain ownership beyond registration alone.

KeNIC’s 2030 target raises the bar

KeNIC has set an ambitious goal of reaching one million .ke domains by 2030, with an intermediate target of 300,000 registrations highlighted through the Kenya Internet Summit.

Lewela has previously described domain registration as the first step in a broader digital transformation journey, allowing businesses to build websites, adopt cloud services, and expand into e-commerce.

The organisation is also looking beyond Kenya’s borders. It recently appointed Thomas Kwaka Omolo, better known as Big Ted, as its .ke Global Brand Ambassador, with a mandate to promote the Kenyan domain among diaspora communities and international audiences.

Omolo, who previously served as Kenya’s Consul-General in Los Angeles, said the country’s web identity could help Kenyan businesses and products reach global markets while strengthening Kenya’s digital presence abroad.

The latest registration figures suggest that .ke has become more than a technical address on the internet. As businesses adopt digital storefronts alongside mobile payments, cloud services, and online marketing, Kenya’s national domain is becoming a more visible part of how local enterprises establish themselves online.

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