UNON said UN agencies have requested additional office space in Nairobi, but the numbers involved are relatively modest. 

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) has dismissed claims that thousands of UN staff are being relocated to its African headquarters, clarifying that only limited and gradual staff movements are taking place.

Chris Kirkcaldy, Director of the Division of Administrative Services (DAS) at UNON, said reports of a mass migration were misleading.

“We’ve seen some fairly wild stories out there about this mass migration to Nairobi. We don’t really recognize that as bearing any relationship to reality,” he told journalists on Thursday.

According to Kirkcaldy, several UN agencies have requested additional office space in Nairobi, but the numbers involved are relatively modest.

“We have seen a number of agencies asking for office space in Nairobi, but we’re not talking about thousands of people. We’re talking about in some cases 100 here, 120 there, 160, or even as few as 10 or 15,” he said.

UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women

Agencies expected to move some of their staff include UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women. Kirkcaldy explained that while Nairobi continues to attract agencies due to lower operational costs, efficient energy use, and favorable working conditions, the UN system is also grappling with a funding crisis that has forced some downsizing.

He highlighted Nairobi’s long-term advantages, including a favorable climate, lower overheads compared to cities like New York, and access to a pool of qualified local labor. Many relocations, he added, are offset by staff reductions in other locations, keeping overall numbers modest.

With the ongoing expansion of the UNON complex, Kirkcaldy said the office is well-positioned to host more staff in the future, though not on the scale suggested by recent reports.

“The current situation is such that we do not see large numbers. We certainly have the capacity through improved space utilization and outdoor facilities to accommodate more, but we do not foresee thousands of people moving,” he said.

Cost efficiency

Confirming the relocations, Zainab Hawa Bangura, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of UNON, emphasized that the moves should not be mistaken for a shift of UN headquarters.

She said the relocations are driven partly by cost-efficiency measures and the need to bring UN operations closer to Africa-based clients.

“The reality is the relocation is not about uprooting offices in New York or Geneva and moving them here. No,” Bangura said, stressing that moving an agency’s headquarters requires a decision by the UN General Assembly.

She noted that many agencies recognize that a significant portion of their work serves Africa, making Nairobi a practical hub.

“If your clientele are based in Africa, it doesn’t make sense to keep flying back and forth to New York. It is costly and inefficient,” she said.

Bangura added that the Secretary-General’s efficiency agenda encourages agencies to consolidate operations to cut costs, and Nairobi’s 140-acre UNON compound—gifted by the Kenyan government in the 1970s and recently expanded—offers an ideal base.

Commenting on the number of agencies and staff set to relocate, Bangura said it was difficult to give precise figures since the process is ongoing.

“We will never be able to tell you exactly how many agencies are coming. Every day I get new requests—sometimes just 10 people, sometimes more. It depends on assessments and budgets,” she explained.

She added that Nairobi’s location in a favourable global time zone and its relatively affordable cost of living also make it an attractive option for global operations. By Bruhan Makong, Capital News