Kenya’s local internet domain market is growing at more than four times the global average, pointing to a steady shift by businesses towards websites and other digital channels to reach customers.
Data from the Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC), which manages the country’s .ke domain, shows the number of domains under management rose 16.06 per cent year-on-year to 129,140 in June 2026, up from 111,268 a year earlier.
The increase represents 17,872 additional domains. The growth significantly outpaced the global country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) market, which expanded by an average 3.6 per cent over the same period. Established .com and .net domains grew by 5.1 per cent, while the overall global domain market expanded by 8.1 per cent.
KeNIC’s Finance and Strategy Manager Hildah Maina, said the growth reflected rising demand for Kenyan digital identities as more businesses establish an online presence.
“We have seen our own registry, that is the .ke registry, growing by 16 per cent,” said Maina, speaking on behalf of KeNIC chief executive Andrew Lewela.
She attributed part of the growth to efforts by accredited registrars to simplify domain registration and website creation.
The adoption of artificial intelligence is also lowering the cost and technical barriers associated with setting up a website.
KeNIC said some registrars now offer AI-powered website builders that allow businesses to register a .ke domain and create a website in less than a minute.
The development could particularly benefit micro and small enterprises that cannot afford to hire web developers or invest heavily in building websites.
KeNIC has also launched a mobile application to make it easier for users to register domains and access digital tools.
The registry manages several extensions, including .co.ke for commercial businesses, .or.ke for organisations and .go.ke for government institutions.
The increase in registrations comes as Kenyan businesses increasingly use digital platforms for marketing, payments, sales and customer engagement, making an online presence less of an option and more of a business requirement.
KeNIC is targeting one million .ke domains by 2030, from the current 129,140. It has set an interim target of 300,000 domains.
The registry has also been seeking to expand the commercial use of .ke by linking domain owners to other digital services, including cloud-based business tools.
As part of that push, KeNIC has appointed Thomas Kwaka Omolo, popularly known as Big Ted, as its .ke Global Brand Ambassador.
Omolo, a former State House branding official and former Kenya Consul-General in Los Angeles, is expected to promote the domain among Kenyans in the diaspora and international markets.
He said .co.ke could help Kenyan businesses build a recognisable digital identity as they seek customers beyond the local market.
The push comes as Kenya’s digital economy expands beyond technology firms to retailers, manufacturers, professional services companies, creatives and small informal businesses.
For KeNIC, the immediate challenge is to sustain the recent growth and convert increased interest in .ke domains into wider adoption as it seeks to reach one million registrations by 2030.
