On Jun 26, 2016 5:03 PM, "Collins Areba via kictanet" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> While at it… Ask if we can get root .ke domains instead of being restricted to .co.ke / .ac.ke , I bet you can auction www.co.ke for loads of $$. J
>

Collins, it's not possible to auction or even sell .co.ke because that domain is already delegate to KENIC, thus hosting all subdomains in that namespace

Here is the whois result for co.ke domain

EXR-PM1:~ mwendwa$ whois co.ke
Domain Name: co.ke
Domain ID: 3-KENIC
WHOIS Server:
Referral URL:
Updated Date: 2016-05-29T08:55:03.029Z
Creation Date: 2009-05-14T08:34:56.443Z
Registry Expiry Date: 2016-05-14T08:34:56.426Z
Sponsoring Registrar: root
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID:
Domain Status: ok
Domain Status: serverHold
Name Server: mzizi.kenic.or.ke
Name Server: ns1.coza.net.za
DNSSEC: unsigned
Additional Section
Sponsoring Registrar URL:
Sponsoring Registrar Address: P.O. Box 1461  Nairobi - 00606  Waiyaki Way
Sponsoring Registrar Country: KE
Sponsoring Registrar Phone:
Sponsoring Registrar Fax:
Sponsoring Registrar Customer Service Contact:
Sponsoring Registrar Customer Service Email: registry@kenic.or.ke
Sponsoring Registrar Admin Contact:
Sponsoring Registrar Admin Email: registry@kenic.or.ke
>>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2016-06-27T07:45:58.387Z <<<

All that said, there is poor design and name reservation list on the .ke namespace. For example, KENIC let www.co.ke be registered by some Chinese entity. Usually common URL identifiers in the .or.ke .co.ke .ne.ke .me.ke .go.ke should be reserved in perpetuity. I wish KENIC can give a rational for this. For me I would have prefered www.co.ke to redirect to www.kenic.or.ke.  Here is the whois for www.co.ke

EXR-PM1:~ mwendwa$ whois www.co.ke
Domain Name: www.co.ke
Domain ID: 42367-KENIC
WHOIS Server:
Referral URL:
Updated Date: 2016-06-04T09:34:12.959Z
Creation Date: 2011-07-09T05:29:07.701Z
Registry Expiry Date: 2016-07-09T05:29:07.720Z
Sponsoring Registrar: Webhost Kenya Ltd
Domain Status: ok
Registrant ID: 42366-KENIC
Registrant Name: Guo Xiufeng
Registrant Street: No.66 Yuhua Road
Registrant Street: Hebei University of Science and Technology
Registrant City: Shijiazhuang
Registrant State/Province: Hebei
Registrant Postal Code: 050000
Registrant Country: CN
Registrant Phone:
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Email: showfom@gmail.com
Name Server: pat.ns.cloudflare.com
Name Server: phil.ns.cloudflare.com
DNSSEC: unsigned
>>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2016-06-27T07:54:42.641Z <<<
% Copyright KENIC

On registering domains on the .ke root, that may be possible after stakeholder consultations, and change of the current regulations that govern the .ke root. This has been debated for decades, and where we stand currently, there is a possibility the community will allow that to go on. Here is the current .ke regulations http://www.kenyalaw.org/LegalNotices/pop_ln.php?file=453

Sincerely, 

Mwendwa Kivuva