The United Nations (UN) has announced plans to expand the capacity of its secretariat headquarters in Nairobi.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the UN will invest $62 million (Ksh 8 billion) to construct new office blocks and renovate existing ones at its 140-acre (57-hectare) Gigiri complex in the Kenyan capital.
The expansion is expected to accommodate 20% more staff, with several UN agencies, funds, and programs set to relocate some of their regional and global operations to Nairobi, according to an official from the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON) who spoke to Bloomberg.
UN Announces Plans to Expand Capacity of Its Secretariat Headquarters in Nairobi
In addition, a $265.6 million (Ksh 34 billion) project will deliver a brand-new conference center and refurbish the current facility, boosting its capacity from 2,000 to 9,000 delegates.
UNON officials said the project will make Nairobi more competitive in hosting major international meetings and multilateral forums.
“We’re making every effort to position UNON at par with New York and Geneva headquarters offices, including in hosting global cooperation multilateral meetings,” said UNON Director-General Zainab Hawa Bangura.
Also Read: Rwanda Bids to Host UN Agencies, Challenging Nairobi’s Dominance in Africa
Bangura added that UNON is in talks with the Kenyan government to improve the supporting infrastructure around the Gigiri complex.
The discussions include enhancing water, electricity, and internet supply, as well as upgrading roads in the area.
Why Nairobi was Considered Ideal Place for the Expansion of Offices
She further revealed that UNON is working toward becoming a net-zero compound, with plans to generate renewable power that could eventually feed into Kenya’s national grid.
“We’re working with the government to discuss and identify what kind of additional support we need. We’re going to be net zero. Net zero means we might be producing more energy than we require,” Bangura said.
UN officials also cited Nairobi’s favorable climate as a cost-saving factor behind the relocation of more UN operations to the city.
“Nairobi has a superb climate — we are not heating our buildings, we are not cooling our buildings.
There is a lot of energy efficiency being based in Nairobi, and so a number of entities have been moving operations here as a cost-effective solution,” said Chris Kirkcaldy, Director for the Division of Administrative Services at UNON.
Discussions on making Nairobi a hub for several regional and global UN operations, which are being considered for relocation, have been ongoing for some time.
Mudavadi Reveals Plans of Kenya to Host 3 Global UN Offices
Earlier this year, on February 19, 2025, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi announced that Kenya is poised to host three new global UN offices by the end of 2026, positioning Nairobi as a key UN operations hub.
Mudavadi revealed that the UN plans to establish offices for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) in Nairobi.
Also Read: UN Clarifies Relocation of Three Agencies from New York to Nairobi by 2026
During a consultative meeting held at his office with Philemon Yang, President of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mudavadi emphasized Kenya’s strategic advantage as a regional logistics and financial center.
He noted that this positioning supports the UN’s multilateral diplomacy and advances key global and regional priorities.
“Kenya is working closely with the UN and is committed to making Nairobi a critical hub for UN operations, not only locally but also regionally and globally,” he stated.
Currently, Nairobi hosts the global headquarters of two major UN agencies that is UNEP and UN-Habitat, as well as the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the UN’s only headquarters in Africa.
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