The United Nations is expanding its secretariat headquarters in Nairobi, strengthening the Kenyan capital’s status as a leading hub for international diplomacy in the Global South.
The Nairobi complex is already the UN’s largest worldwide and its only headquarters in Africa.
The UN Office at Nairobi (UNON) said the organization is investing $62 million in new office blocks and renovations across the 140-acre (57-hectare) site.
The expansion will increase capacity by about 20 per cent, allowing more UN agencies, funds, and programs to shift parts of their regional and global operations to Kenya.
In addition, the UN is undertaking a $265.6 million project to build a new conference facility and upgrade the existing one.
Once complete, the venues will be able to host up to 9,000 delegates up from the current 2,000.
“We’re making every effort to position UNON at par with New York and Geneva headquarter offices, including in hosting global cooperation multilateral meetings,” UNON Director General Zainab Hawa Bangura told Bloomberg.
The UNON expansion cements Nairobi’s position as a top-tier global diplomatic hub, placing Kenya at the heart of multilateral decision-making in the Global South.
With billions in investment, thousands of staff, and the capacity to host world-class summits, the project will boost Kenya’s international profile, attract high-level delegations, and stimulate the local economy through hospitality, transport, and service industries.
Strategically, it enhances Kenya’s soft power, giving it a stronger voice in shaping UN policy, especially on African and developing world priorities.
It also signals long-term stability and trust in Kenya as a host for sensitive global operations and negotiations.
This is even as UN complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, is already undergoing extensive infrastructure improvements as the city prepares to accommodate additional UN agencies by 2026.
This relocation is part of a broader UN reform initiative aimed at decentralising operations to more affordable and strategically located cities.
These offices include 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) programmes.
The new offices will be in addition to the current two global offices, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN-HABITAT, which have their headquarters in Nairobi.
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