Nairobi has the best costs, an excellent campus, and great conditions for the United Nations' expansions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has revealed.
In February, the UN announced that it would be expanding and opening three new global offices in Nairobi by the end of 2026 under its UN@80 initiative. The expansion of the offices will cost Ksh38.8 billion (USD267 million) and came after the UN General Assembly approved the financing of the project in 2023.
Speaking on Saturday, Guterres explained that the UN chose Nairobi for expansion because of its potential to house its goals under the UN project.
Further, he revealed that several agencies from the UN have begun moving their operations to Nairobi in preparation for the expansion.
''Several agencies have moved entirely or part of their services and are preparing their movements to Nairobi. We believe that in the context of UN@80, Nairobi is a location that has enormous potential," Guterres said.
The UN@80 Initiative marks the 80th anniversary of the UN and focuses on reforming the organisation to ensure it remains effective, cost-efficient, and responsive to global challenges.
The UN SG revealed that Nairobi, Kenya, being a country in Africa, is the UN's priority to take care of and support, a major contributor to their expansion in the city in Africa.
''Africa is our priority, and whatever we can do to invest from the UN point of view in the African content is our duty to do,'' he continued.
On its part, the Kenyan government welcomed the initiative by the UN. In a statement by Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei, Kenya gladly embraced the initiative and revealed they were ready to work with the UN to fulfill their goals.
''We gladly welcome the UN's expanded presence in Nairobi and Africa in the context of UN@80,'' Sing'oei said.
The three planned offices will join the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), the two existing global UN headquarters in Nairobi.
The new offices that are set to be based in Nairobi host programs for UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).
The expansion has been made possible after, in September 2022, during the UN General Assembly, President William Ruto announced that the government would make more land for the facility's upgrade.
