The United Nations is set to invest more than $340 million in expanding its Nairobi headquarters.
The ambitious expansion at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) in Gigiri will include the construction of modern office blocks and upgraded conferencing facilities aimed at transforming Nairobi into one of the UN’s largest global hubs.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to officially address the development during a press conference on Monday, May 11, 2026, following a groundbreaking and office inauguration ceremony alongside President William Samoei Ruto.
Nairobi Set to Become UN’s Third Largest Global Hub
The project, approved by the UN General Assembly, is expected to significantly expand the UN’s operational capacity in Kenya.
According to details released ahead of the event, the expansion includes US$66.2 million for new climate-resilient office blocks and US$265.7 million for upgraded conference facilities.
Once completed, the number of meeting rooms at UNON will rise from 14 to 30, while delegate seating capacity will jump from 2,000 to 9,000.
The development will position Nairobi as the UN’s third-largest global hub after New York and Geneva, ahead of Vienna.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has also invested an additional US$11.2 million in new office blocks within the Nairobi complex.
Nairobi remains the only UN Secretariat headquarters located in the Global South, making the Kenyan capital increasingly central to international diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.
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