A report by the United Nations (UN) has disclosed that their Nairobi Centre had outdated facilities that posed an immediate risk to the body's ability to host international events.
The UN conference centre based in Gigiri was the subject of focus over deteriorating conditions and inadequate facilities as heard by the UN's administrative and budgetary committee.
The facility could not compare to the other three offices in cities in the developed world (New York, Geneva and Vienna.)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a declining utilisation rate to 39 percent in the previous year against 81 percent for all the four UN conference centres.
"Conditions at the Nairobi centre 'pose an immediate risk' to the UN’s ability to host major planned events in the Kenyan capital," he stated.
He noted that none of the major Conference of Parties (CoP) meetings had been held in Nairobi since 2006 due to insufficient infrastructure.
Referencing the recent UNEP assembly meeting where 3500 people took part, the organizers had to erect tents and other temporary structures to accommodate the large number.
In the report, facilities such as the interpretation system were described as "approaching the end of their life and support cycles.”
"It is clear that dedicated resources to cover the maintenance costs will need to be provided expeditiously, given that, thus far, critical maintenance has been possible only through ad hoc financial support,” the report recommended.
However, the report did not provide an estimate of the projected costs for the upgrade.
