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UN should expand presence in Nairobi

UNEP Gigiri

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja (left) with Mayor of Paris, France Anne Hidalgo (right) during the official opening press conference of the resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly held at UNEP Gigiri on May 29, 2025.

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

By  Raphael Obonyo

What you need to know:

  • Nairobi is seen as a relatively stable business environment, often serving as the regional headquarters for international organisations.
  • Kenya's position as an economic and commercial hub in East Africa solidifies its position as a strong global investment destination.

Could Nairobi become one of only four cities globally to host multiple United Nations agencies? And is Nairobi an ideal host for UN operations? It is worth noting that Rwanda and Botswana have also submitted formal pitches.

As part of the broader UN@80 reform agenda, the organisation seeks to decentralise operations from high-cost cities to more affordable, strategically located regions. If selected, Nairobi would host the UN Children’s Fund, UN Population Fund, UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, UN Environment Programme and UN Habitat.

Nairobi is seen as a relatively stable business environment, often serving as the regional headquarters for international organisations. This year, the World Bank and International Finance Corporation decided to have some of their regional vice-presidents based in Nairobi. The stable business and operational climate is important for UN agencies.

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Kenya also has a dynamic private sector. Its position as an economic and commercial hub in East Africa solidifies its position as a strong global investment destination.

Logistics and financial hub

Further, Kenya’s strategic positioning as a logistics and financial hub gives it an edge in supporting the UN’s role in multilateral diplomacy and advancing global and regional priorities. Noteworthy, the Nairobi duty station is the fastest growing in the UN. When UNEP was set-up, it had only 300 staff, now there are 6,500 employees.

Kenya should leverage on the UN’s existing presence in the country and its role and operations in the greater horn, east and central Africa sub-regions, in its bid to make Nairobi a UN hub. 

The country maintains significant diplomatic relationships that prioritise international peace and security. The UN’s partnership with Kenya is essential in advancing regional and global peace and security issues. That is why it is important to make Nairobi a hub for the UN’s operations.

Mr Obonyo is a public policy analyst. [email protected]