Request Domains & Mailboxes from ICTA

Taifa Mail is operated by ICTA (the Kenya ICT Authority), and it is ICTA-first: an allocation request, not a self-service domain form, is the starting point for every institution. A request proposes one or more domains, each with a reason and a mailbox count, plus your Authorizing Officer's signed letter. ICTA reviews and decides on each domain independently, and only an approved domain can be verified or hosts mailboxes.

The initial request (onboarding)

The first officer from an institution goes straight into the request wizard after choosing Set up my organisation - there is no separate "add a domain" step first. The wizard has four parts:

1. Institution - your organisation name, type, and your role.
2. Domains - one or more proposed domains. Each row needs a domain name (for example health.go.ke, ntsa.go.ke, or a subdomain such as mail.health.go.ke), a reason the institution needs it, and a mailbox count for that domain. Add as many rows as you need domains.
3. Authorization - the Authorizing Officer's (AO) signed authorization letter, as a PDF, 5 MB or smaller, on official institution letterhead.
4. Review & submit - check every domain, reason, and count, then submit.

Submitting gives you a request reference such as TFM-A-123, and the request enters Pending ICTA review. The dashboard stays locked behind an "awaiting ICTA" screen until a decision lands - there is nothing left to configure until then.

ICTA's decision, per domain

ICTA reviews the request in its admin console and decides on each proposed domain independently. A single request can end with some domains approved and others rejected - the institution proceeds with whichever domains were approved.

• Approved - ICTA sets a mailbox allowance for that domain (it may adjust the count you asked for) and approves mail hosting on it in the same step.
• Rejected - ICTA leaves a note explaining why (for example, "use a subdomain of an existing approved domain"). You can address it in a new request.
• More information needed - ICTA can also send the whole request back with a structured checklist of items it needs (a document, a piece of text, a corrected letter). Reply to each item in the request thread; once every required item is provided, the request automatically returns to pending for ICTA to re-review. The request is never auto-cancelled while this is happening.

Approving at least one domain on your initial request completes the Authorizing Officer's onboarding and unlocks the dashboard. You are notified in-app and by email whenever a decision is made, and you can track status - including per-domain outcomes - from the Mailboxes page or the request itself.

Two-way requests

Every request is a small workspace, not a one-shot form:

• Message thread - reply to ICTA and attach supporting documents directly on the request; ICTA replies the same way.
• Info-request checklist - when ICTA needs something specific, it appears as a checklist item (document, text, email, or link) you fulfil one at a time.
• Global note - ICTA can leave a persistent banner on the request, visible to your institution, separate from the reply thread.
• Internal ICTA notes - ICTA's own team can leave notes on a request that are never shown to your institution.

Verify DNS and create mailboxes

Once a domain is approved it moves to Domains, ready to verify:

1. Go to Domains, open the approved domain, and publish the DNS records shown (domain ownership, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, return path, and MX if you need inbound mail). See Domain Setup and DNS Records Explained.
2. Click I've added the records - check now (the page also re-checks on its own every 20 seconds).
3. Go to Mailboxes. The domain now shows "0 of N mailboxes allocated by ICTA", where N is what ICTA approved. Click New mailbox to add mailboxes such as info@health.go.ke, ps@ministry.go.ke, or support@county.go.ke, up to your allowance, and assign each one to an officer.

Assigned officers read their mail in webmail at mail.govconnect.ke, or connect a mail client over IMAP/POP. See IMAP & POP mailboxes.

Subdomains of an approved domain

A subdomain of a domain ICTA has already approved inherits that approval - you do not need a new allocation request for it. Go to Domains, add the subdomain (for example mail.health.go.ke under an approved health.go.ke), and verify its DNS directly. Its mailbox allowance is drawn from the same approved allocation as its parent.

Requesting more later

Once onboarding is complete, open Request more mailboxes or another domain from the Mailboxes page. This submits an additional request (as opposed to the institution's one-time initial request).

1. Note your current allowance (shown on the Mailboxes page).
2. Enter how many additional mailboxes you need, or propose a new domain with its own count and reason.
3. Attach an updated authorization letter if the AO's original letter does not already cover the new ask.
4. Submit and track it the same way as the initial request, including the two-way thread. While pending, the UI shows the requested total and how many additional mailboxes you asked for.

What next?

• Domain Setup - the DNS records an approved domain needs to reach verified.
• Members & invites - add officers, ICT staff, and communications officers to your institution.
• IMAP & POP mailboxes - connect official mailboxes to Outlook, Apple Mail, and mobile apps.
• Inbox overview - read and manage mail in webmail.