Kenyan .ke domains grow four times faster than global average as SMEs go digital
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Kenyan businesses are adopting local internet domains at a pace more than four times faster than the global average, as small enterprises increasingly turn to websites and e-commerce to participate in the digital economy.
The Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC), which manages Kenya’s .ke country-code top-level domain, recorded a 16.06 per cent year-on-year increase in domains under management between June 2025 and June 2026.
The number of .ke domains rose from 111,268 to 129,140, an increase of 17,872 domains, according to KeNIC data.
This compares with an average growth of 3.6 per cent across the global country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) market and 5.1 per cent for the established .com and .net domains.
The total global domain base grew by 8.1 per cent, while new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) recorded much stronger growth of 34 per cent.
Hildah Maina, KeNIC’s Finance and Strategy Manager, said the performance demonstrated the growing demand for Kenyan digital identities and the role played by local registrars in bringing more businesses online. Ms Maina was speaking on behalf of KeNIC chief executive Andrew Lewela.
“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,” Ms Maina said.
She said KeNIC had been supporting registrars in their modernisation efforts to make it easier for businesses and individuals to establish an online presence.
KeNIC is the sole registry responsible for administering, managing and operating .ke domains in Kenya. Its current management lists Mr Lewela as chief executive officer and Ms Maina as Finance and Strategy Manager.
AI lowers barrier to going online
The growth is being supported by new digital tools that are reducing the time and technical expertise required to establish a website.
KeNIC said some accredited registrars have developed artificial intelligence-powered website builders that enable a business to obtain a .ke domain and create a website in less than a minute.
“Some of the main drivers have been the automation of registrars and the development of very innovative products. We’ve seen registrars develop AI website builders, where a business can actually get a .ke domain and also create a website within less than a minute,” Ms Maina said.
The development is particularly significant for micro and small enterprises that may not have the resources to hire web developers or build websites from scratch.
KeNIC has also unveiled a .ke mobile application aimed at making it easier for Kenyans to register domains and access products that can help them take their businesses online.
The registry says a .ke domain gives businesses a distinct Kenyan digital identity while helping them establish credibility and reach local customers.
KeNIC currently has a range of domain extensions, including .co.ke for commercial businesses, .or.ke for organisations, .go.ke for government institutions and .me.ke for personal websites.
The growing use of artificial intelligence to build websites comes as businesses increasingly rely on digital channels for sales, payments, marketing and customer engagement.
For small businesses, the ability to combine a domain, website and digital tools in minutes could further reduce the cost of entering the online economy.
KeNIC targets one million domains
KeNIC is targeting one million .ke domains by 2030, meaning the registry will need to significantly accelerate registrations from the current level.
The organisation has set an intermediate target of reaching 300,000 .ke domains, according to information published for its Kenya Internet Summit.
Mr Lewela has previously described domain registration as the starting point for a broader digital transformation journey, with businesses able to use their online identities to access cloud, e-commerce and other digital services.
KeNIC has, for example, partnered with technology company Zoho to provide .ke domain holders with access to cloud-based business tools as part of efforts to help enterprises digitise their operations.
Big Ted to take .ke global
As part of efforts to expand the reach of the Kenyan domain beyond the local market, KeNIC has appointed Thomas Kwaka Omolo, popularly known as Big Ted, as its .ke Global Brand Ambassador.
Mr Omolo, a former Deputy Director for Branding and Events at State House, will lead efforts to raise awareness and promote uptake of .ke domains among Kenyans in the diaspora and international audiences.
He previously served as Kenya’s Consul-General in Los Angeles after being appointed to the diplomatic position in 2022.
Mr Omolo said the .co.ke domain could become an important part of Kenya’s international digital identity by giving Kenyan businesses and products a platform through which they can reach global audiences.
“.ke for us will be an amazing way for Kenya to take its place in the international stand and to be able to speak to the rest of the world, not only about what we can do, but also what we have as a country,” he said.
As global ambassador, Mr Omolo said he would use his networks and travel across Kenya and international markets to encourage Kenyans to adopt .ke domains, build websites and develop online businesses.
“I’ll be going around the whole world and Kenya, making sure that Kenyans are able to take up this platform and domains and create great experiences,” he said.
KeNIC expects his international networks and experience to help drive awareness of .ke among the Kenyan diaspora, while positioning the domain as a way of showcasing Kenyan businesses, products and services to global consumers.
The push comes at a time when Kenya’s digital economy is expanding beyond traditional technology companies, with retailers, professional services firms, manufacturers, creatives and informal businesses increasingly using digital platforms to reach customers.
The latest domain figures suggest that the local internet identity is becoming an important part of that transition.
For KeNIC, the challenge now is to convert the recent growth into sustained adoption and move towards its one-million-domain target by 2030.
For Kenyan SMEs, meanwhile, the combination of affordable domains, automated registration and AI-powered website creation could make having a digital storefront less of a technical project and more of a basic requirement for doing business.
