Guterres to visit Kenya as UN invests Sh44bn in major Nairobi Hq expansion
National
By
Mate Tongola
| May 07, 2026
The United Nations is undertaking one of its largest infrastructure investments in Africa, with Sh44 billion earmarked for the expansion of its Nairobi headquarters in Gigiri, marking a major upgrade of its global presence outside traditional UN hubs.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected in Kenya next week, where he will join President William Ruto on Monday, May 11, at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) for the groundbreaking of a new conference facility and the inauguration of modern office buildings.
The project, approved by UN Member States through the General Assembly, is designed to transform UNON into a more modern, efficient, and climate-resilient complex, while significantly expanding its capacity to host global meetings and operations.
The investment package includes Sh8.5 billion for new permanent office blocks and Sh34.1 billion for upgraded conferencing facilities.
The latter will expand meeting rooms from 14 to 30 and increase seating capacity from 2,000 to 9,000 delegates, including a 1,600-seat Assembly Hall.
The upgrades will position Nairobi as the third-largest UN hub globally after New York and Geneva, with Vienna ranking fourth.
Separately, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has invested Sh1.4 billion in additional office infrastructure at the complex.
During his visit, Guterres is also expected to hold talks with Kenyan leadership and participate in regional engagements, including the Africa Forward Summit, focusing on peace, sustainable development and climate action across the continent.
UNON, the only UN Secretariat headquarters in the Global South, currently hosts more than 4,000 personnel across 88 UN offices at the Gigiri complex. In total, about 6,000 UN staff and an estimated 10,000 dependents are based in Kenya.
The UN says the expansion reflects a broader shift towards decentralising global decision-making closer to regions most affected by humanitarian, climate and development challenges.
The Gigiri complex itself sits on 140 acres of land donated by the Government of Kenya, the largest such contribution by any host country.