In a landmark decision, the United Nations has revealed plans to set up three additional global offices in Nairobi, Kenya, by late 2026.
The new headquarters for UN Women, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) will join the already established UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat.
This move places Nairobi alongside New York, Geneva, and Vienna as one of only four cities globally hosting multiple UN headquarters. The relocation is part of the broader UN@80 reform agenda which seeks to decentralize operations from high-cost cities to more affordable, strategically located regions.
Infrastructure ready: Progress and uncertainty
A source within the UN, speaking to DevelopmentAid on the condition of remaining anonymous, confirmed 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 said.
However, despite this progress, the number of staff to be relocated remains under discussion.
Agency alignment also remains uneven. A source within UNICEF Kenya explained that local staff have yet to receive official communication regarding the move.
“These discussions are currently taking place among top-level executives. As of now, we have not been informed which departments might move or when,” the source said.
UNFPA, however, appears to have already come to a decision with reports suggesting up to 25% of its global staff will be relocated to Nairobi in 2025.
Kenya’s government welcomes the move
The Kenyan government has strongly backed the plan. In February 2025, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi confirmed the decision following discussions with Philemon Yang, the President of the 79th UN General Assembly.
During a press briefing in February, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Zainab Hawa Bangura, highlighted Nairobi’s growing prominence as a key UN hub. Today, the city hosts 86 UN offices, 73 of which are located within the Gigiri complex.
“Nairobi is already the fastest-growing UN duty station globally,” she said. “When UNEP was founded in 1973, there were just 300 staff. Today, we have over 6,500 staff and 11,000 dependents.”
What the UN shift means for development experts
Beyond the symbolic perspective, the relocation is expected to reshape the employment landscape in Kenya and beyond.
According to Business Daily, the move will bring at least 800 new staff to Nairobi and create thousands of job opportunities. For professionals in development, this marks a rare window of opportunity.
To support this growth, DevelopmentAid provides real-time access to UN job listings from various UN agencies. Explore full-time UN roles here and tenders for individual consultants for short-term projects across multiple UN agencies.
From fieldwork to advisory roles, DevelopmentAid connects experts in governance, public health, gender, education, among many others.
Whether based in Kenya or elsewhere in the world, bookmark DevelopmentAid’s UN Job Portal now to track the roles becoming available in Nairobi through 2026.
Inside the US$340M UN upgrade.
See also: As the UN turns 80, a leaked memo reveals bold proposed changes
Backed by a US$340 million investment, the expansion includes major infrastructure upgrades at the UN complex.
A key feature will be a state-of-the-art, 9,000-seat Assembly Hall, the first such facility built by the UN for General Assembly functions outside New York since 1949.
In addition, 30 new conference rooms are planned. These will position Nairobi’s UN hub among the most advanced globally, rivaling Geneva and New York in scale and capacity.
