Friday, 14 August 2026 | Nairobi

KeNIC (Kenya Network Information Centre) has officially unveiled Thomas Kwaka Omolo, popularly known as Big Ted, as the .KE domain’s global ambassador. He was unveiled in Nairobi by Hildah Maina, KeNIC’s Finance and Strategy Manager.

As global ambassador, Big Ted will help raise awareness and promote the uptake of .KE domains among Kenyans both locally and in the diaspora, as well as international audiences. He described the role as an exciting opportunity to put .KE on the international stage and to represent not just what Kenya can do, but what the country has to offer as a nation.

.KE Domains Growing Four Times Faster Than the Global Average

The announcement comes on the back of striking new growth figures for Kenya’s country-code domain. According to KeNIC data, the number of .KE domains under management rose from 111,268 to 129,140 between June 2025 and June 2026 — an increase of nearly 17,900 domains, representing year-on-year growth of just over 16%.

By comparison, country-code domains grew by an average of around 3.6% globally over the same period, while more established .com and .net domains grew by roughly 5.1%. This places .KE’s growth at close to four times the global average for country-specific domains.

The .KE registry has now recorded approximately 300,000 domain registrations in total, as KeNIC works towards an ambitious target of one million by 2030.

What’s Driving the Growth

Speaking on the trends behind this surge, Ms. Maina pointed to the growing automation of registrar services and the development of innovative products as key drivers — including registrars building AI-powered website tools that allow businesses to acquire a .KE domain and launch a website in minutes.

This growth is being driven largely by small and medium enterprises increasingly turning to websites and e-commerce to participate in the digital economy, as more Kenyan businesses and individuals adopt online identities and move their operations online.

New Digital Tools for Easier Access

KeNIC has also introduced new digital tools to make registering a .KE domain simpler and more accessible, including a mobile application aimed at making it easier for Kenyans to register domains and access related products, helping them take their businesses online with greater ease.

For Kenyan SMEs, the combination of affordable domains, automated registration, and AI-powered website creation is making a digital storefront less of a technical undertaking and more of a basic requirement for doing business.

#DotKE