Dozens of jobs are at risk at the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme as the agency undertakes a major downsizing exercise.
According to a petition filed in the Senate by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, a functional review conducted by Unep has identified about 100 positions for abolition.
Some 48 of the targeted positions are held by Kenyans, mostly support staff.
The development comes despite an overall expansion in Unep’s workforce from 1,268 to 1,383 staff between 2020 and 2024, with the number of consultants nearly doubling to 1,450 over the same period.
“Kenya has fully met its financial obligation to the Environment Fund, unlike many other member states, yet Kenyan staff continue to face job insecurity, while key local positions—such as the Unep Kenya country office coordinator—have been filled by non-Kenyans,” Cherargei said.
The petitioner argued that Kenya, as host of Unep’s global headquarters, deserves transparency, fairness and meaningful participation in the agency’s operations.
He said urgent engagement with the agency’s leadership is needed to protect the rights and livelihoods of affected Kenyan employees.
Cherargei urged the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee to establish the criteria used in Unep’s functional review to identify positions for abolition and why this information was not disclosed to staff.
He also wants the committee to determine why nearly half of the abolished positions are held by Kenyans, despite the nation’s role as host country and its consistent financial contributions to the Environment Fund, as well as outline measures to protect citizens from disproportionate job losses.
“The committee should state why Unep expanded its consultant workforce and extended temporary job openings while abolishing fieldwork roles and leaving key vacancies unfilled,” the petition adds.
The committee will also investigate why the Unep Kenya country office, established in 2023, lacks a programme document and budget and assess the benefits Kenyans have received compared to other UN host countries.
Additionally, it will seek answers on why a non-Kenyan was appointed to head the Kenya office, whether Kenyan candidates were fairly considered and why Unep allows foreign nationals to head regional offices but has not done so in Kenya.
Unep is mandated to provide leadership on environmental issues, set the global environmental agenda and support countries in implementing solutions for the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution.
Unep’s work includes developing environmental law, strengthening environmental governance, promoting scientific research and helping nations transition to low-carbon, resource-efficient economies.
