How to Register a .co.ke Domain in Kenya (KENIC 2026 Guide)

If you're building a website for a Kenyan business, you'll need a domain. The two main options are .co.ke (Kenya-specific) and .com (global). For a local Kenyan brand, .co.ke is usually the better choice — it signals Kenyan identity, may help rankings for Kenya-specific search queries, and is what most Kenyan customers expect to see.

What is KENIC?

The Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) is the official registry for all .ke domains, including .co.ke. KENIC sets the rules and wholesale prices. You don't register directly with KENIC in most cases — you use an accredited registrar that handles the paperwork and adds customer support.

.co.ke vs Other .ke Variants

• .co.ke — for commercial entities. The most common choice. ~KES 1,500-2,000/year.
• .or.ke — for organizations (NGOs, churches, etc.). Same price.
• .ne.ke — for network providers. Niche use.
• .go.ke — government entities only. Restricted.
• .ac.ke — academic institutions only. Restricted.
• .sc.ke — schools only.
• .me.ke — personal use. Slightly cheaper, ~KES 1,000/year.
• .ke — the new second-level option (without .co/.or). Premium, KES 5,000-10,000/year.

For 95% of Kenyan businesses, .co.ke is the answer.

Step 1: Choose a Domain Name

The rules:

• 3-63 characters
• Letters, numbers, and hyphens (no special characters or spaces)
• Cannot start or end with a hyphen
• Should match your business name where possible

Best practices:

• Keep it short (under 15 characters ideal)
• Avoid hyphens if possible — they're hard to communicate verbally
• Avoid numbers unless they're part of your brand
• Match your business name registration if you have one — see our business name registration guide

Step 2: Pick a Registrar

Top KENIC-accredited registrars in Kenya (no particular order):

• Truehost Cloud — popular for affordable bundled hosting + domain
• Sasahost — competitive pricing, decent support
• Safaricom — pay via M-Pesa, integrated with their hosting
• HostPinnacle — long-running registrar
• Kenya Web Experts — bundled with WordPress hosting
• KENIC direct — cheapest but minimal customer service
• Namecheap (international) — also offers .co.ke, useful if you already have other domains there

Step 3: Register the Domain

Process at any registrar is similar:

1. Search for your desired name (e.g., yourbiz.co.ke)
2. If available, add to cart
3. Enter contact details: registrant name, address, phone, email
4. Choose registration period (1-10 years)
5. Optionally add WHOIS privacy (KES 200-500/year — hides your contact info from public WHOIS)
6. Pay via M-Pesa, card, or bank transfer
7. You receive activation email

Step 4: Configure DNS

After registration, point the domain at your hosting:

1. Get your hosting provider's nameservers (e.g., Vercel, AWS, cPanel hosting). Two are typical: ns1.example.com, ns2.example.com.
2. In your registrar's domain management, set custom nameservers to your hosting's nameservers
3. OR use the registrar's DNS panel and add A records pointing to your server's IP
4. Wait 1-24 hours for DNS to propagate globally

Standard DNS records you need:

• A record — points the apex domain (yourbiz.co.ke) to your server IP
• CNAME record — typically www.yourbiz.co.ke → yourbiz.co.ke
• MX records — for email (Google Workspace, Zoho, etc.)
• TXT records — for email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and Google Search Console verification

Step 5: Set Up Email

You probably want email at your new domain (info@yourbiz.co.ke). Options:

• Google Workspace — KES 800/user/month. Best deliverability and tooling.
• Zoho Mail — Free for up to 5 users with 5GB each. Best for budget-conscious.
• cPanel email — Bundled with most cheap hosting. Limited features but no extra cost.

Step 6: Renew Annually

.co.ke domains must be renewed annually. Set a renewal reminder a month before expiration — losing your domain because of forgotten renewal is a recoverable but expensive mistake.

Many registrars offer auto-renewal. Worth enabling, but verify your card on file is current.

Common Mistakes

• Registering with the wrong contact details. Use your real business address — KENIC can audit and require proof of identity.
• Ignoring DNS propagation. If your site isn't loading after registration, wait 24 hours before troubleshooting — DNS can take that long.
• Not enabling WHOIS privacy. Without it, your name, address, and phone are public. Worth the small annual fee.
• Forgetting to renew. Lose your domain, lose your customers, lose your SEO history.
• Buying domains you don't need. Some businesses register every variant (yourbiz.co.ke, yourbiz.com, yourbiz.ke). Only do this if your brand budget supports it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Building a website? We register the .co.ke domain on your behalf as part of every web development project — and 1 year of renewal is included in every package.