You will Buy .KE Domain at Ksh. 10k

In case you have not yet heard, the .ke Domain will be available for purchase in Kenya.

The price tag for the Second Level Domain (SLD) extension will be Ksh. 10,000. This amount is considerably higher than that of third level domains such as the .co.ke Domain.

The Kenya Network Information Center (KeNIC) is the organization tasked with the management of the Kenya country code top-level domain (ccTLD).

KeNIC CEO Abdalla Omari has confirmed that the .ke domain is considered premium. That is just a way to justify the high price tag.

Omari added that even South Africa, which is considered the 2^nd largest economy in Africa, still uses a 3^rd level domain, .co.za.

The Four .KE Domain Roll-out Phases

KeNIC has confirmed that the roll-out will begin on July 23^rd, 2017 and it will happen in four phases.

In the first phase, Trademark holders who have registered trademarks under the Trade Marks ACT (CAP 506) Laws of Kenya will be given 90 days to apply for domain names similar to their trademarks.

The 90-day period will run from the 23^rd July 2017 to the 22^nd October 2017.

The applications will be evaluated and Domain names will be granted to eligible applicants. The evaluation process will be guided by SLD policies.

At this point, the price tags for Domain names will be Ksh. 10,000.

The second phase will run for 30 days: that’s between the 23^rd October 2017 and 22^nd November 2017.At the end of the 30-day period, SLD names will be allocated to eligible applicants.

In cases where at least two applicants share a domain name, an auction will be conducted and the Domain name allocated to the winner. At this phase, the price tag will be Ksh. 9,000.

At the end of the 30-day period, SLD names will be allocated to eligible applicants. In cases where at least two applicants share a domain name, an auction will be conducted and the Domain name allocated to the winner.

At this phase, the price tag will be Ksh. 9,000.

Next, KeNIC will proceed to the third phase. Just like in the second phase, it will last for 30 days. Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria below:

• Applications submitted in the first phase will be given priority over those submitted in the second phase.
• In the case of multiple applications in the second phase, eligibility will be determined through an auction.
• In case there are no eligible applications for the first phase and multiple applications are received in the second phase, applicants with a trademark registered under Trade Mark SCT (CAP 506) Laws will be given priority.

The fourth phase will begin immediately after the third phase ends (about 150 days after the launch of the .ke domain).

KeNIC recommends a price tag of Ksh. 8,000. The organization has stated that during this phase, eligibility will be based on a first come first served basis.

About KeNIC

The Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) was established through the facilitation of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK).

It is the entity charged with the management and the administration of the dot ke Country Code Top-Level Domain (.ke ccTLD) name.

KeNIC was formed as a non-profit organization aimed at managing and operating the .KE ccTLD.

It is important to note that despite the introduction of the SLD, third level domains will still be available for registration.

In case you are interested in the .ke domain, this is the apt time to make necessary arrangements through your registrar.