Kenya has more than one local domain extension. .co.ke is the most common, but several others exist, each set aside for a specific kind of organization. Picking the right one, and knowing which ones you actually qualify for, matters if you want your domain to look credible and match what your business or organization does.
The Kenyan Domain Extensions
- .co.ke: for commercial businesses and general use. This is the default choice for most companies, shops, and personal brands, and it's open to anyone.
- .or.ke: for non-profits, NGOs, associations, and other organizations that aren't run for commercial profit.
- .ne.ke: reserved for network operators and internet service providers.
- .info.ke: a general-purpose extension similar to .co.ke, open to any registrant, though far less commonly used.
- .go.ke: reserved for Kenyan government ministries, departments, and agencies. Registration is restricted and requires proof of government authorization.
- .ac.ke: reserved for universities and other accredited higher-education institutions.
- .sc.ke: reserved for primary and secondary schools.
Who Can Register Each One
.co.ke, .or.ke, .ne.ke, and .info.ke are open extensions. Any individual or business with a valid form of ID can register one, following the same basic requirements as a standard .co.ke registration.
.go.ke, .ac.ke, and .sc.ke are restricted. The registry requires documentation proving you're an eligible government body, university, or school before it will approve the registration. These aren't available to ordinary businesses, no matter what your business does.
Registering one extension doesn't give you any claim to the others. If you own yourbusiness.co.ke, someone else can still register yourbusiness.or.ke unless you register it yourself too.
Which One Should You Choose?
For most businesses, .co.ke is the right and most recognized choice. It's what Kenyan customers expect to see and search for, and it works for almost any commercial use. Choose .or.ke only if you're registering on behalf of a genuine non-profit or membership organization, and .ne.ke only if you operate as a network or internet service provider. The restricted extensions (.go.ke, .ac.ke, .sc.ke) aren't a choice at all unless your organization already qualifies.
Some organizations register both their main extension and a related one (for example, a school registering both .sc.ke and .co.ke) to protect their name and cover both audiences, but this is optional and depends on your budget and needs.
If you're deciding between a Kenyan extension and a global one, see .co.ke vs .com: Which Domain Extension Should You Choose for Your Kenyan Business? For the documents you'll need on hand before registering, see What You Need to Register a .co.ke Domain Name.