Affordability, strategic reach favours UN relocation plan to Nairobi » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) has identified cost efficiency, a favorable climate, and a strategic global location as key factors prompting more UN agencies to relocate staff and functions to Nairobi.

Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of UNON, said the relocations align with the UN Secretary-General’s efficiency agenda, which seeks to cut costs, consolidate services, and bring operations closer to the people they serve.

“That was the vision of the Secretary-General – to implement efficiency measures as part of his management and development reform. By having agencies on one common premises, you save on rent, share back-office services, and reduce duplication,” Bangura said. “The savings can then be reinvested into programs.”

She stressed the moves are not about “uprooting headquarters from New York or Geneva,” but strategically positioning staff closer to Africa, where a significant share of the UN’s programs and beneficiaries are based.

Bangura pointed out that operating from Nairobi reduces housing and living costs while still guaranteeing staff a good quality of life.

Compared to New York, where rent for a two-bedroom apartment can exceed $6,000 a month, Nairobi offers affordable housing, lower operational costs, and significant energy savings due to its climate.

“Unlike offices in the global north, we don’t need heating or cooling in Nairobi, and that makes a huge difference,” she noted.

Another advantage is Nairobi’s location in a favorable time zone, allowing UN operations to overlap with Asia and Latin America during working hours.

“For a global operation, this time zone is very strategic. Within 12 hours we can reach as far as Peru in Latin America or Indonesia in Asia,” Bangura said.

She also highlighted the 140-acre UNON compound in Gigiri—donated by Kenya in the 1970s and recently expanded—which provides secure office space, conference facilities, and logistical support, reducing reliance on costly private compounds.

Chris Kirkcaldy, Director of the Division of Administrative Services at UNON, described Nairobi as a “hugely desirable duty station” thanks in part to a pool of highly qualified local talent, which allows agencies to fill many roles without relocating international staff.

He cautioned, however, that reports of a “mass migration” of UN staff to Nairobi were exaggerated, noting the shift would be gradual unless major financial changes accelerated the trend.

Currently, Nairobi is one of four UN headquarters globally and the only one in the Global South. It already hosts more than 20 UN agencies, funds, and programs.

To meet growing demand, the UN General Assembly has approved nearly USD 340 million in expansion projects at UNON, including six new office buildings and a USD 265.6 million upgrade of its conference facilities—one of the UN’s largest Secretariat investments in Africa outside peacekeeping.

The expansion will modernize facilities, improve accessibility for persons with disabilities, and create more office space to accommodate the steady rise in staff numbers.

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