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ContactContact us via chat or emailSearch the address for your higher-education institution
Register Your .ac.ke Domain From 199.00 KES
An address people can recognise
A Kenyan address for admissions, learning and research
Applicants need a clear place to find courses, entry requirements and admission dates. Give your institution one address for that information, with separate destinations for enrolled students and staff. KeNIC assigns .ac.ke to higher education; prepare the institution’s supporting documents before registering with us.
- Identify the office authorised to apply for the institution.
- Prepare the document that establishes its tertiary status.
- Match the applicant name to the name on that document.
Allow for each domain charge
.ac.ke Domain Pricing
Compare the name’s first registration with its renewal and transfer charges. Choose a term offered by our checkout and check the complete amount before paying.
Apply for the selected name
199.00 KES / first year
Begin with an available spelling and the applicant details required for this category.
Check .ac.ke availabilityMaintain the registration
Kshs 1,500.00 / year
Budget for maintaining the address after the initial term, alongside any connected services.
Explore registration costsTransfer your existing name
Kshs 1,000.00 / transfer
Keep the same registration while moving its administration into your account with us.
Move your existing .ac.keReview applicable taxes, the requested term and any additional purchases in our order summary.
Compare the Kenya categories
Compare Kenya Domain Prices
Each ending has its own purpose. Check both the applicant requirements and the amount charged for the transaction you need.
| .ac.ke | Other | Kshs 199.00 (standard) | Kshs 1,500.00 | Kshs 1,000.00 | 90 days | N/A |
| .co.ke | Other | Kshs 999.00 (standard) | Kshs 1,500.00 | Kshs 1,000.00 | 90 days | N/A |
| .sc.ke | Other | Kshs 199.00 (standard) | Kshs 1,500.00 | Kshs 1,000.00 | 90 days | N/A |
| .ne.ke | Other | Kshs 1,000.00 (standard) | Kshs 1,500.00 | Kshs 1,000.00 | 90 days | N/A |
| .or.ke | Other | Kshs 1,000.00 (standard) | Kshs 1,500.00 | Kshs 1,000.00 | 90 days | N/A |
No domain extensions match your search.
Choose an ending that fits the applicant
.ac.ke Domain Alternatives
Explore our published domain pages for alternatives. A different category may suit a different organisation; it is not a way to bypass a restricted application.
A name with a practical purpose
Practical uses for a .ac.ke domain
Build the public services your audience needs around one managed address. These are illustrative projects, not available-name results.
Find Your .ac.keAdmissions
Explain the courses and application process
Publish the entry requirements, application deadlines and recognised contact details in one place. An applicant should be able to find the next step without navigating a collection of unofficial pages.
Student services
Connect learners to the right portal
Keep the public prospectus separate from authenticated student records. A portal prefix can point to the system you already use; the domain does not supply that system.
Academic work
Make publications easy to locate
Give departments a consistent route to research, staff profiles and public reports. Agree an editor for each section so a change of personnel does not leave outdated information online.
Institutional continuity
Keep the address under the institution’s control
Use an authorised institutional holder and document account recovery. A website contractor can manage the build without becoming the owner of the college’s domain.
Maintain the connections
.ac.ke Domain Management, Made Simple
Keep the domain records consistent with the website and communication services you use. Record the intended destinations before altering a working configuration.
Configure service records
Set a website destination using the records supplied by the platform you selected.
Choose the DNS host
Delegate DNS to the provider whose nameservers you intend to use.
Keep the payment owner informed
Assign somebody to review renewal and keep the account reachable.
Prepare a registrar handover
Bring the registration to us with the authorisation required by the current registrar.
Domain decisions your team can follow
Why Choose Truehost for Your .ac.ke Domain?
Bring the address into your Truehost account and keep the responsible people informed. Start with the correct holder, then record the services that depend on the name.
Keep administration together
Keep the registration details together with your renewal date. This gives an incoming administrator a clear starting point when responsibilities change.
Your registration charge
199.00 KES / first year
Search the exact spelling you intend to use. Review the initial charge before you announce the address or order printed materials.
Budget for the next renewal
Kshs 1,500.00 / year
Set aside the renewal amount in your operating budget. A first-year promotion should not become the assumption for future payments.
Connect the right records
Keep a copy of the website and mail records supplied by your providers. Compare it with the intended configuration before authorising a change.
Prepare an orderly transfer
Ask the existing registrar for the EPP code when you are ready to move. Plan any website or mailbox migration as a separate task.
Retain account access
Agree who may manage the name and who approves payments. Use a recovery contact your organisation can still reach during a service interruption.
Email for your team
Choose individual inboxes or shared addresses according to how your team handles messages. Compare business email plans.
A website for your audience
Prepare the information visitors need, then choose how to build and maintain those pages. Explore the website builder.
Review the scope and billing terms of additional services before adding them to your order.
Connect the services behind the name
How to Use Your .ac.ke Domain
Choose a public website, mail destination and any authenticated platform. Check each connection with its provider before announcing the address.
- Publish prospectus and admissions information at the institution’s main address.
- Use an admissions mailbox that the responsible office monitors.
- Connect the approved student or library platform through its own prefix.
Give each destination a clear role
Plan Your .ac.ke Addresses
Use the main address for public information and defined prefixes for other services. The examples illustrate a naming plan, not a promise that a platform is included.
| Visitor’s task | Illustrative Destination | What Visitors Find |
|---|---|---|
| Review the programmes | campusbridge.ac.ke | Programme outlines and the authorised admission contacts |
| Prepare an application | apply.campusbridge.ac.ke | Current submission steps and application deadlines |
| Access student records | students.campusbridge.ac.ke | The institution’s separately configured student platform |
| Reach the admissions office | [email protected] | Messages routed through the office mailbox service |
Add the services the project needs
Build More Around Your .ac.ke Domain
Choose hosting, mailboxes or a builder separately from the registration. Review the scope and current charge for each service instead of assuming the name includes it.
Web Hosting
Keep your website online with hosting for your business pages, blog or online store.
From Kshs 188.00 / monthWebHosting Starter · Kshs 6,768.00 every 36 monthsExplore Web Hosting →Business Email
Send and receive business messages from a professional inbox that uses your own domain.
From Kshs 56.00 / monthWorkplace Starter · Kshs 672.00 every 12 monthsExplore Business Email →VPS Hosting
Run websites and applications with dedicated resources and control over your server setup.
From Kshs 579.64 / monthCloud VPS Elite · Kshs 20,867.00 every 36 monthsExplore VPS Hosting →SSL Certificates
Secure connections to your website with an SSL certificate for your domain.
From Kshs 62.50 / monthAskSSL™ Starter · Kshs 750.00 every 12 monthsExplore SSL Certificates →Dedicated Servers
Get a server dedicated to your business for demanding websites, applications and workloads.
From Kshs 11,680.00 / monthH1 Dedicated Server · Kshs 420,480.00 every 36 monthsExplore Dedicated Servers →Domains
Find and register a domain that gives your business a memorable address online.
From Kshs 40.00.name.ng · first-year registrationExplore Domains →Prepare a usable spelling
.ac.ke Domain Name Rules
Use a label of 2–63 characters before .ac.ke. KeNIC permits letters a–z, digits and internal hyphens. Leave out spaces, underscores and accent marks; a format check does not establish availability or applicant eligibility.
Accepted in an .ac.ke name
Not accepted
Review example labels
| Candidate | Label review | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
campusbridge.ac.ke | Ordinary label | A plain letter label for format review |
campus-bridge24.ac.ke | Ordinary label | Review whether the numbered label matches the applicant’s identity |
-campusbridge.ac.ke | Unsuitable hostname label | The first character cannot be a hyphen |
campus_bridge.ac.ke | Unsuitable hostname label | Use a hostname label rather than an underscore separator |
Prepare the applicant evidence
Your .ac.ke Registration Checklist
This category serves a polytechnic, technical institute, college or university. Prepare a relevant ministry registration certificate, college charter or establishing Act of Parliament bearing the institution’s name.
Information you need
Services and responsibilities to arrange separately
Before you register
Confirm the applicant
Match the public identity to the legal applicant and supporting records.
Review the chosen spelling
Check that the proposed spelling can be managed by the authorised office.
Choose a recovery contact
Retain a recovery contact that does not depend on this new domain.
A dated view of this category
.ac.ke Domain Facts
The figures below are from the Communications Authority’s June 2026 report, Table 21, using KeNIC data. They are a historical category snapshot, not a live total or count of websites.
- 1,511
- .ac.ke registrations reported
- At 30 June 2026
- +46
- net quarterly change
- June minus March 2026
- 1.17%
- .ac.ke share of reported .KE total
- Calculated from 129,140 total
Source: CA Q4 2025/26 report, Table 21. June 2026 snapshot. Quarterly change is a calculated net change from March 2026, not gross new registrations.
.ac.ke Registry and Registration Specifications
Use the registry reference to check the applicant, technical configuration and renewal process. KeNIC sets the registry rules; Truehost manages your registration request and account.
Visit KeNICRegistry IdentityCategory, holder and registry responsibilities
| Property | .ac.ke requirement |
|---|---|
| Example registration | Illustrative registration under this category: campusbridge.ac.ke |
| Position in DNS | The registered label is below ac.ke; .ke is the country-code domain. |
| Country namespace | Kenya (.KE country-code domain) |
| Registry organisation | Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC) |
| Registry policy | KeNIC Third Level Domains Policy; category documents and naming rules apply. |
| Category purpose | Category for polytechnic, technical institute, college or university. |
Registration RulesEvidence and registration period
| Property | .ac.ke requirement |
|---|---|
| Eligible applicants | Polytechnic, technical institute, college or university. |
| How names are assigned | Search the spelling and complete the applicable registry review. |
| Permitted duration | KeNIC’s third-level policy specifies a one-year registration. Select from the periods actually offered for this name in the order summary. |
| Registered label length | The label before .ac.ke must contain 2–63 characters. Do not count the category ending as part of that label. |
| Character set | ASCII letters a–z and digits 0–9, with a hyphen allowed inside the label. Neither edge may be a hyphen. |
| IDN support | The published third-level rules specify ASCII characters. Choose a spelling using that alphabet; accented and other non-ASCII characters are outside it. |
| Capitalisation | Uppercase and lowercase versions refer to the same DNS label. |
| Other suffixes | Any additional category name has its own registration and renewal. |
DNS & Registry ServicesConnections, lookup and contact information
| Property | .ac.ke requirement |
|---|---|
| Signed DNS | Ask your DNS provider to coordinate zone signing and the corresponding registry records before enabling DNSSEC. |
| Nameserver management | Use the nameservers supplied by your chosen DNS host. Retain its current zone records before changing delegation. |
| Registrant disclosure | KeNIC’s WHOIS policy governs registration data and lookup access. Supply correct details and request corrections when they change. |
| Registration lookup | Use our WHOIS lookup for registration information. |
Lifecycle & ProtectionRenewal action and registry policy
| Property | .ac.ke requirement |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Arrange payment before expiry. KeNIC’s third-level policy specifies suspension after 14 unpaid days; contact your registrar promptly about recovery. |
| Disputed registrations | KeNIC publishes an Alternative Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. |
Keep renewal ahead of service disruption
What Happens If .ac.ke Expires?
KeNIC’s lifecycle guidance describes a renewal grace period and suspension after expiry. Renew while the name is active; a recovery process should not be part of the normal payment schedule.
Active
Maintain the registration contacts and the authorised renewal owner.
Renewal Due
Current renewal charge: Kshs 1,500.00. Arrange payment before the account’s expiry date.
Expired
Check the registration with us promptly when expiry is reported.
Suspended
KeNIC says domains are suspended after 14 days. Restoring connected services requires action on the registration, not only the website.
Released for registration
An unrenewed name can be deleted and become available to another applicant. If services have stopped, ask us to check the registry status and available recovery action immediately.
Choose the term offered in checkout
Plan the Registration Beyond Year One
Use the current term table to plan your budget. The order summary confirms which registration periods can be purchased for your selected name and the total due.
| Term | Total registration price | Regular year-by-year costRegistration + annual renewals | Savings | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Kshs 199.00 | Kshs 199.00 | No saving | Search domains |
| 2 years | Kshs 2,000.00 | Kshs 1,699.00 | No saving | Search domains |
| 3 years | Kshs 3,000.00 | Kshs 3,199.00 | Save Kshs 199.00 | Search domains |
| 4 years | Kshs 4,000.00 | Kshs 4,699.00 | Save Kshs 699.00 | Search domains |
| 5 years | Kshs 5,000.00 | Kshs 6,199.00 | Save Kshs 1,199.00 | Search domains |
Select your term in checkout. Domain availability, applicable promotions, premium-name pricing and taxes are confirmed there.
Keep the name while changing administration
Already Have an .ac.ke Domain?
Prepare the registration and DNS information before requesting a registrar transfer. The name can remain the same while the responsible account changes.
Transfer — Kshs 1,000.00- 01
Prepare the account access
Identify the account holder and retain the working service records.
- 02
Request your EPP code
Obtain the EPP authorisation code from the registrar currently managing the name.
- 03
Submit the transfer
Begin our transfer process and verify the saved domain details after completion.
Before registration
.ac.ke Domain FAQs
Answers for the people managing this organisation’s domain.
Is .ac.ke suitable for our college?
KeNIC places universities, colleges, technical institutes and polytechnics in this category.
The institution must be able to support its application with the relevant establishment or registration document. A tutoring business should not assume it qualifies merely because it teaches.
Which document should the admissions office prepare?
Use the relevant ministry’s registration certificate, the college charter or the Act of Parliament establishing the institute.
The document must identify the applying institution and show its tertiary status. Send it through the registration support process rather than posting it on a public website.
Prepare the application file:
- The institution’s name as shown on its establishment document.
- The authorised office’s contact and recovery details.
- The exact spelling to be requested under .ac.ke.
Why is the name not live immediately after payment?
Restricted registrations require KeNIC’s document review.
Its products page states that publication follows closure of the supporting-document ticket. Check the application status with our support team before announcing a launch date.
Can departments share the institution’s address?
Create subdomains for services such as library or students when the institution controls the main registration.
Record who manages each destination and which system it uses. A subdomain is a DNS configuration choice, not a second .ac.ke purchase.
Can the student portal move without changing our domain?
A domain can point to a replacement platform.
Plan the records and test the new portal with its provider before redirecting users. Keep identity, student data and sign-in migration as separate work from the domain change.
Before changing a student service:
- Test the replacement platform with its administrator.
- Keep the old service reachable while the handover is checked.
- Tell students where to report a sign-in problem.
Should our web designer register it personally?
The institution should be recorded as the holder, with authorised and recoverable account access.
Agree the designer’s management role separately. This makes future handover possible without depending on a contractor’s personal inbox.
Does .ac.ke prove that every course is approved?
The registry category concerns the institution’s domain application.
It is not a statement about accreditation of every programme, qualification or partnership. Publish the actual course approval information through the appropriate institutional office.
What should we check before sending admission emails?
Connect the mailbox service and its required mail records, then test delivery from the addresses applicants will use.
Keep a monitored admissions inbox and publish a clear reply route. Buying a name alone does not create those mailboxes.
How do we hand access to a new ICT officer?
Maintain an institutional account inventory, renewal owner and recovery method.
Transfer authorised access when duties change and remove obsolete access. Check that the incoming officer can administer the domain before the outgoing officer leaves.
Can our existing .ac.ke be brought to Truehost?
Request the EPP authorisation code from the current registrar and begin the transfer with us.
Keep the current DNS records and institution details available. A registrar transfer does not copy student systems, website files or email.
Transfer preparation:
- Confirm who can approve the move for the institution.
- Save the nameservers and existing website and mail records.
- Share the EPP code only through the transfer process.
What belongs in the renewal budget?
Allow for the domain renewal and each separate website, portal or email service.
Check the current renewal shortcode on this page and the term offered in checkout. Assign payment approval early enough to avoid a service interruption.
| Purchase | Current amount | Budget entry |
|---|---|---|
| Register the selected name | 199.00 KES | Initial registration period |
| Continue the registration | Kshs 1,500.00 | The next renewal period |
What should we do if the institution’s name changes?
Keep the registration details accurate and ask our support team which documents KeNIC needs for the revised identity.
Plan redirects and email continuity separately if a new domain is required. Do not abandon the address while learners still depend on it.
Choose the address for your organisation
Ready for Your .ac.ke Domain?
Search a suitable name, prepare the required applicant details and review the order before registration.
Applicant detailsRenewal planningService connections