Could Nairobi be next, and one of only four cities globally to host multiple UN headquarters alongside New York, Geneva and Vienna? And is Nairobi an ideal host for UN operations?
It’s a legitimate question whether Nairobi is the most appropriate city to host UN relocating agencies. It is worth noting that Rwanda and Botswana have also submitted formal pitches.
As part of the broader UN at 80 reform agenda, the multinational organisation seeks to decentralise operations from high-cost cities to more affordable, strategically located regions.
Kenya has expressed interest in hosting UN functions, agencies and programmes under consideration for relocation, to ensure cost-effective measures.
If selected, Nairobi will host the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) programmes.
The new offices will be in addition to the current two global offices, Unep and UN-Habitat, which have their headquarters in Nairobi.
Kenya must put up a strong case and position itself as a premier destination for UN agencies seeking to relocate, and clearly demonstrate benefits to the UN family if it is expanded in Nairobi.
As the largest economy in East Africa, Kenya represents more than 40 per cent of the region’s GDP. The country remains East Africa’s largest and most important business, financial and transportation hub.
Nairobi is seen as a relatively stable business climate, often serving as the regional headquarters for international organisations, increasingly, many UN regional offices.
This year, the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation decided to have some of their regional vice presidents for Eastern and Southern Africa be based in Nairobi.
The move was a boost to Nairobi, strengthening the capital as a central hub in the region and Africa, and a huge World Bank community of 870 staff.
Kenya is really a regional hub in East Africa for many businesses and organisations.
There are a lot of multinational companies and international organisations that have their regional headquarters in Nairobi, and that stable business and operational climate is important for United Nations agencies.
Second, Kenya has a dynamic private sector, especially in comparison to other countries with comparable average per-capita incomes.
The country’s position as an economic and commercial hub in East Africa, plus accelerated development, solidifies its position as a strong global investment destination—to host three new United Nations global offices.
Third, United Nations has invested in Nairobi, creating the conditions for Nairobi to receive services that are now in more expensive locations.
Kenya’s strategic positioning as a logistic and financial hub gives it an edge in supporting the UN’s role in multilateral diplomacy and advancing global and regional priorities. Kenya's capital is the only UN headquarters in the Global South.
Noteworthy, the Nairobi duty station is the fastest-growing duty station in the United Nations, and it is the only duty station progressively recording steady growth.
As we speak, we have 86 UN offices in Kenya, 73 in Gigiri in the capital city Nairobi. When Unep was set up, we had only 300 staff, now we are boasting of 6,500 staff, 11,000 families and dependents.
Kenya should leverage the UN’s existing presence in the country and its role and operations in the greater horn, east and central Africa sub-regions, in its bid to make Nairobi rise as a UN global hub.
Also, Kenya maintains significant diplomatic relationships that prioritise international peace and security through international support.
The United Nations partnership with Kenya is essential in advancing regional and global peace and security issues.
That is why it is important to make Nairobi a critical hub for the UN’s operations both in the country, regionally, and across the globe.
Public policy analyst. [email protected]
