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Firms Get a Six-month Deadline to Register on Kenyan Internet Domain

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Firms Get a Six-month Deadline to Register on Kenyan Internet Domain

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Firms handling critical services such as telecommunications and security have six months to register their web addresses on Kenyan internet domains, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has said, in a move aimed at safeguarding their cyber safety.

Firms handling critical services such as telecommunications and security have six months to register their web addresses on Kenyan internet domains, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has said, in a move aimed at safeguarding their cyber safety. CA said the decision was made during a meeting of the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4) on March 14, 2024. NC4 is a multi-agency entity that coordinates national cyber security matters and facilitates international cooperation in dealing with computer and cybercrime matters in Kenya.

All systems designated as critical information infrastructure …must further ensure that the security and reliability of any dot KE(.ke) domain names in use are safeguarded, CA Director-General David Mugonyi said in an August 1, 2024 notice. The designated critical entities include mobile communication and internet connectivity firms, judicial institutions, the country’s electoral body, and national security agencies. Others are national health institutions, food quality, safety and research entities, aviation systems, and railway and road transport support services such as licensing and ticketing bodies, as well as power generation and transmission structures.

A spot check shows that among notable organisations that have not complied with the order include Airtel Kenya, national carrier Kenya Airways and the Kenya Seed Company, all of whose web addresses are suffixed with the dot com domain, as well as the Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) which uses dot org. Proponents of the local domain argue that it makes it easy for businesses and other entities to access the target market and loop in designated clients,adding that it also encourages interactions with the specified markets.

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The Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC) is the body mandated with registering and issuing the domain in the country. During the first three months of this year, the number of registered dot. ke domains grew 2.3 percent to stand at 108,338 up from 105,936 in December, according to CA data. During the period, the .co.ke sub-domain recorded the highest market share of users at 84.8 per cent