The United Nations is expanding its presence in Kenya, relocating a number of regional and global operations from UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women to Nairobi—while keeping their main headquarters in New York. This move is part of a broader push to enhance cost-efficiency, sustainability, and the UN’s footprint in the Global South.
The expansion centers around the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the sole UN headquarters in Africa and the Global South. Approved under UN General Assembly resolution 78/253 in December 2023, this project is a strategic leap forward for the Gigiri complex.
UNON currently hosts approximately 6,000 UN staff in Kenya—5,000 of whom operate under 80 offices within the Gigiri complex, managing missions from Somalia, Sudan, peacekeeping, and Special Political Missions. In May 2024, UNON Director-General Zainab Hawa Bangura outlined an ambitious upgrade: the refurbishment of office blocks A through J, construction of six new blocks, and enhanced conference facilities as part of the Gigiri Master Plan.
This overhaul, tallying approximately USD 340 million (Ksh 43.8 billion), includes USD 265.6 million (Ksh 34.3 billion) earmarked for a Conference Facility Project (CFP). The CFP aims to boost Nairobi’s capacity to host high-level global events—expanding participant capacity from 2,000 to 9,000, adding 16 meeting rooms to the existing 14, and constructing a new Assembly Hall for 1,600 delegates. When complete, this facility will be on par with UN venues in Geneva and New York—marking UNON’s largest infrastructure investment in Africa.
Construction is slated to kick off in late 2025, with major works beginning in late 2026 and completion targeted by 2030 (Citizen Digital). A key emphasis throughout is sustainability: from energy-neutral design to a complex-wide reforestation initiative launched a year prior by the UN Secretary-General—highlighting green operations as aligned with SDGs and making the most of Nairobi’s moderate climate to reduce heating and cooling demands.
Photo Credits: Un
