Glossary
.co.ke Domain
The second-level domain for Kenyan commercial entities, registered through KeNIC. A .co.ke domain is an explicit signal of local establishment (Architecture Section 4.2).
In plain terms
The second-level domain for Kenyan commercial entities, registered through KeNIC-accredited registrars. It signals that a business is established here rather than operating from anywhere.
It is not technically better or worse than a .com. The difference is what it says to a Kenyan buyer and what it implies about where the business actually is.
Why it matters in Kenya
For a business selling locally, .co.ke reads as established and local. For one selling internationally or to diaspora customers, .com reads as broader. Plenty of businesses register both and redirect one.
What to do about it
Four checks you can run on your own site this week.
- Register it in the business name, not a developer's, with your own contact details
- Use an accredited registrar and keep renewal on a card that will not lapse
- Decide which domain is canonical and redirect the other, rather than running both
- Make sure you can log in yourself: this is the asset everything else sits on
More terms
Other words you will meet when commissioning web, e-commerce or search work in Kenya.
- KeNICThe Kenya Network Information Centre, the registry responsible for the .ke country-code top-level domain and its second-level domains including .co.ke.
- Information GainThe extent to which a page adds something (data, analysis, first-hand experience) not already available on the pages already ranking.
- Query CannibalisationWhen two or more pages on the same site compete for the same head query, splitting link equity and confusing search engines about which to rank.
