Director General of the United Nations Office of Nairobi (UNON) Zainab Bangura, revealed that the planned expansion of the Nairobi offices is projected to require KES 38.8 billion (USD267 million).
This announcement follows the approval of project financing by the UN General Assembly in 2023 and is supported by contributions from member states, including Kenya, which provided land.
Addressing attendees at the Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, Bangura emphasized the necessity of the expansion due to the significant number of individuals attending international conferences hosted at the UNON.
Bangura highlighted the Secretary-General’s recent annual reports to the General Assembly, which have addressed the inadequate condition and capacity limitations of conference facilities at the UNON in recent years.
The expansion aims to significantly enhance office efficiency and will include the construction of a 9,000-capacity conference center, as well as modern office spaces. Upgraded facilities will feature lounges, a visitors’ entry pavilion, a visitors’ center, a delegate dining building, a media center, and a multi-functional pavilion.
Scheduled to commence in 2025, the project is expected to be completed by 2030. Design services have been entrusted to an international consortium led by a South African firm in collaboration with a Kenyan partner.
Upon completion, this project will mark the largest undertaken by UNON and the largest by the UN in Africa. President William Ruto and Deputy Rigathi Gachagua have been strong advocates for the expansion, underscoring its importance in serving a broader Kenyan population.
President Ruto, during the UN General Assembly in September 2022, affirmed the government’s commitment to supporting multilateral institutions by offering additional land for the upgrade of the UNON complex. He urged Member States to augment this contribution with increased financing to modernize UNON facilities adequately.
Gachagua emphasized the expanded role of the facility, which extends beyond hosting the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as a driving factor behind the need for expansion.
