António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, is scheduled to arrive in Kenya on Monday, May 11.
This visit coincides with the UN implementing one of its most substantial infrastructure investments in Africa throughout its history, separate from peacekeeping efforts.
Among his many engagements during the Kenyan visit, Guterres will prioritize the USD 340 million (KSh43.793 billion) expansion of the UN’s Nairobi headquarters, intended to “bring the United Nations closer to the people it serves”.
Upon his arrival in Kenya, Guterres will accompany President William Ruto to the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON) for the inauguration of a new major conference facility and modern office buildings, substantially broadening the UN’s operational presence in Africa.
These new investments will establish Nairobi as one of the UN’s most important global centers.
The current UN conference facilities in Nairobi, constructed in 1985, no longer meet contemporary requirements. According to the UN, with a capacity limited to 2,000 participants, the existing infrastructure cannot handle the growing demand for global UN gatherings, such as the UN Environment Assembly and the UN-Habitat Assembly.
The new initiative, known as the Conference Facilities Project (CPF), represents a generational modernization effort aimed at increasing UNON’s conference capacity to 9,000 participants, implementing advanced conferencing technology, and ensuring energy efficiency, universal accessibility, and high-quality services.
“The Nairobi expansion signifies a wider transformation: moving multilateral decision-making closer to the regions most impacted by global challenges. It encompasses new modern, permanent, and climate-resistant office facilities (US$ 66.2 million) and upgraded conferencing amenities (US$ 265.7 million) that will expand the number of meeting rooms from 14 to 30, and seating capacity from 2,000 to 9,000 attendees. This includes a 1,600-seat Assembly Hall, establishing UNON as the third largest UN global hub after New York and Geneva, with Vienna being the fourth. Additionally, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has allocated (US$ 11.2 million) for new office facilities at UNON,” the UN states.
Over 4,000 personnel and 88 UN offices are currently situated at the Gigiri complex. In total, approximately 6,000 UN personnel are based in Kenya, along with about 10,000 dependents from Kenya and neighboring countries.
“This marks a pivotal moment for the United Nations in Africa. This investment aligns our presence with where global challenges and solutions are increasingly concentrated. Nairobi is not merely a host city; it serves as a strategic hub for executing the United Nations’ work in the 21st century,” remarked UN Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Mrs Zainab Hawa Bangura.
During his visit, the UN reports that Guterres will also hold high-level discussions with Kenyan officials and participate in regional dialogues, including the Africa Forward Summit.