UNON Multi-Billion Expansion Set to Make Nairobi Rival Geneva and New York

The United Nations is scaling up its presence in Kenya, with several of its Agencies, Funds, and Programmes relocating central aspects of their regional and international operations to Nairobi. The strategic move is aimed at increasing the global presence of the UN while enhancing the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of operations.

Among the agencies already establishing a greater presence in Nairobi are the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Women. While their main headquarters remain in New York, these organizations have moved parts of their international functions to the Kenyan capital, reinforcing Nairobi’s growing role in multilateral affairs.

At its center is the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the only UN headquarters in Africa and the wider Global South. To accommodate the expanding mandates and operations, UNON is currently undergoing a comprehensive infrastructure overhaul.

The UN General Assembly endorsed Resolution 78/253 in December 2023, paving the way for a bold redevelopment of the UNON complex at Gigiri. It is a major win for Kenya, becoming a key UN operational hub for global programs.

Insiders note that this expansion supports the UN’s long-term goals of improving cost-efficiency and aligning its physical footprint with sustainability targets. The growth also reflects the organization’s plan to decentralize and establish a stronger presence in the Global South. Gigiri, which houses the UN Secretary-General’s representative office in Kenya, has become central to this vision.

To support the increasing demand for international operations in Nairobi, UNON is actively rolling out infrastructure upgrades across its compound. Kenya currently accommodates some 6,000 UN staff, of which some 5,000 are in the Gigiri complex. The employees serve in 80 offices and manage most major UN operations in Somalia and Sudan, and oversee peacekeeping and Special Political Missions throughout the region.

Speaking during the UN Civil Society Conference in May 2024, Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General, UNON, clarified the scope of redevelopment. According to her, redevelopment work would entail the refurbishment of office blocks A to J and the construction of six new office blocks. A major upgrade to the conference facilities is also part of the plan, all under the umbrella of the Gigiri Master Plan (GMP).

“UNON is currently undergoing a historic transformation that will not only accelerate our path to energy neutrality but also promote biodiversity, thanks to the complex-wide reforestation initiative launched by the Secretary-General exactly one year ago,” said Mrs. Hawa.

The UN General Assembly approved two major construction projects under this plan, amounting to a total investment of $340 million (about Ksh.43.8 billion). Of that, $265.6 million (around Ksh.34.3 billion) has been dedicated to upgrading the conference facilities – a move that received overwhelming support from UN member states.

When completed, the Conference Facility Project (CFP) will position Nairobi amongst the best venues for hosting large-scale global conferences. The upgraded facilities will host 9,000 delegates, up from the current capacity of 2,000. Plans include building 16 new meeting rooms, expanding the total to 30, and constructing a state-of-the-art Assembly Hall with a capacity of 1,600 delegates, rivaling those in Geneva and New York.

This UN Secretariat 2023-approved investment is already the largest ever made by the UN Secretariat in Africa.

Late 2025 will see the beginning of construction, followed by high-scale building activities deploying in late 2026. The entire project will be delivered by 2030.

In line with the reform, the UN is also accelerating its ‘greening UNON’ initiative aimed at bringing building in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the areas of energy efficiency, climate action, and environment sustainability.

The scheme promotes green operations and eco-friendly infrastructure, taking advantage of the Nairobi climate, which makes heating or cooling machinery unnecessary. These sustainability criteria are articulated in the Building Performance Manual for the Design and Construction of UN Common Premises Office Buildings so the future UNON will be environmentally sustainable, efficient, and internationally applicable.

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