KeNIC successfully hosted a Universal Acceptance (UA) Day 2026 Awareness Event on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, at USIU-Africa University, bringing together key stakeholders from Kenya’s Internet and digital ecosystem.
The event was organized in collaboration with UNESCO and KICTANet, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing a more inclusive and multilingual Internet.
What is Universal Acceptance (UA) Day?
Universal Acceptance (UA) Day is a global initiative led by ICANN and partners to promote the adoption of Universal Acceptance, a technical best practice that ensures all valid domain names and email addresses—regardless of language, script, or length—work seamlessly across Internet systems.
Observed annually since 2023, UA Day mobilizes global, regional, and local communities to advance a multilingual and inclusive Internet (#Internet4All) through awareness, training, and technical engagement activities.
From Proposal to Implementation
KeNIC’s journey to hosting UA Day 2026 began with the global Call for Proposals issued by ICANN on 9 October 2025, inviting organizations worldwide to organize local UA Day events.
- Proposal submission deadline: 24 November 2025 (extended)
- Shortlisted events announced: December 2025
- Event implementation window: 25 March – 30 May 2026
Following a successful proposal, KeNIC was selected among global organizers and received technical resources and limited support from ICANN to facilitate awareness, training, and stakeholder engagement activities.
Event Highlights
The Nairobi event recorded strong participation and engagement:
- 305 registrations from academia, technical community, government, and industry
- Collaboration with UNESCO and KICTANet
- Hosted at USIU-Africa University
- Focus on awareness, adoption, and technical readiness for UA
Key Addresses
Participants were addressed by distinguished speakers including:
- Bob Ochieng, Snr. Director: ngTLD ProgramICANN
- Andrew Lewela Mwanyota, KeNIC CEO & .ke Chief Evangelist
- Prof. Patrick Kanyi Wamuyu, PhD – Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor of Information Technology
United States International University-Africa
The sessions emphasized the importance of UA in enabling local language digital identity, inclusive access, and future-ready Internet systems.
Outcomes and Impact
- Increased awareness of Universal Acceptance across Kenya’s Internet ecosystem
- Strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration
- Engagement with academia to support curriculum integration
- Certificates issued to participants in recognition of their involvement
Watch Testimonials: https://kenic.or.ke/kenic_testimonials/universal-acceptance-day-2026-awareness-event-at-usiu-africa-sponsored-icann/