Nairobi is poised to etch its name deeper into the annals of global diplomacy, solidifying its position as a paramount hub for international affairs. The city is set to welcome the new headquarters for UN Women, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which will join the already established UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat within its burgeoning Gigiri complex. This strategic centralization places Nairobi alongside New York, Geneva, and Vienna as one of only four cities globally to host multiple UN headquarters, a testament to its growing international prominence.
This significant relocation is part of the broader UN@80 reform agenda, a strategic initiative that seeks to decentralize operations from traditionally high-cost cities to more affordable, yet strategically located, regions. Nairobi, with its robust infrastructure and advantageous geographical position in East Africa, fits this criterion perfectly, offering an ideal environment for expanded UN operations.
The foundational infrastructure for this ambitious move is already in place. An anonymous source within the UN confirmed to DevelopmentAid that the office infrastructure at the Gigiri headquarters has already been completed. “Yes, there are plans to establish the three offices. The offices are ready,” the source stated, indicating a readiness for the new arrivals. However, despite this physical readiness, the finer details of the relocation are still being ironed out. The precise number of staff to be relocated remains under discussion, and agency alignment is noted as "uneven". For instance, a source within UNICEF Kenya explained that local staff "have yet to receive official communication regarding the move," clarifying that "These discussions are currently taking place among top-level executives. As of now, we have not been informed which departments might move or when." In contrast, UNFPA appears to have made more definitive plans, with reports suggesting that "up to 25% of its global staff will be relocated to Nairobi in 2025."
The Kenyan government has been a staunch advocate for this expansion. In February 2025, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi publicly confirmed the decision following discussions with Philemon Yang, the President of the 79th UN General Assembly. This strong governmental backing underscores Kenya's commitment to fostering international collaboration. During a press briefing in February, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Zainab Hawa Bangura, highlighted Nairobi’s already significant and growing prominence. She noted, “Nairobi is already the fastest-growing UN duty station globally,” emphasizing its remarkable growth from just 300 staff when UNEP was founded in 1973 to "over 6,500 staff and 11,000 dependents" today.
The economic implications of this expansion are substantial. According to Business Daily, the move is projected to bring "at least 800 new staff to Nairobi" and concurrently "create thousands of job opportunities," marking a rare window of opportunity for professionals in the development sector. For those interested in leveraging this growth, platforms like DevelopmentAid provide real-time access to UN job listings from various agencies, connecting experts in governance, public health, gender, education, and many other fields. Whether based in Kenya or elsewhere, professionals are encouraged to bookmark DevelopmentAid’s UN Job Portal to track roles becoming available in Nairobi through 2026.
This monumental expansion is underpinned by a robust US$340 million investment in infrastructure upgrades at the UN complex. A key feature of this overhaul will be a state-of-the-art, 9,000-seat Assembly Hall, a truly historic addition as it will be the first such facility built by the UN for General Assembly functions outside New York since 1949. Furthermore, 30 new conference rooms are planned, additions that will position Nairobi’s UN hub among the most advanced globally, rivalling the scale and capacity of established hubs in Geneva and New York.
