Kenya's .ke increases fees

The Kenya Network Information Center (KeNIC), administrator of the Kenyan country code extension .ke, is increasing the registration fees. As of February 3, 2025, the purchase price for domain registrars for second level domains directly below .ke is KES 2,500 (approx. EUR 18.50) net per year and domain; third level domains cost KES 999 (approx. EUR 7.50) net per year and domain. The transfer fee will also be KES 999 in future. KeNIC cites sustainability, investment in further growth and inflation as reasons for the increase. The price increase is not considered uncritical, partly because the total number of .ke domains has stagnated at around 100,000 for several years; the current figure is 109,735. However, low fees alone do not appear to be the decisive factor; although the prices for third-level domains were halved almost five years ago, the impact on new registrations has been minimal. Competition from generic domain extensions such as .com, as well as concerns about political influence on .ke, also play a role. In addition, many companies in Kenya use applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram or online stores such as Jiji and Jumia to sell their goods and services. Domain registrars are likely to pass on the increases to their customers, which will not increase the attractiveness of .ke. Mwendwa Kivuva, who is involved in ICANN, comments: “KeNIC must focus on building trust, simplifying pricing models, aggressively marketing the benefits of .KE domains, and ensuring meaningful public participation in its decision-making processes.”

Source: https://circleid.com/posts/kenyas-cctld ... nsfer-fees