A New League of Nations? What a Nairobi Relocation Could Mean for the UN’s Future
As it stands, the global community is witnessing an unprecedented geopolitical recalibration with the United Nations moving a substantial part of its operations from New York to Nairobi, Kenya. Since 1974, Nairobi has long played a pivotal role for the United Nations, after its expansion in the country with the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This presence expanded in 1996 with the inception of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), making it one of four major UN headquarters alongside Geneva, Vienna and New York. Together with this recent strategic repositioning, presents a paradigm shift in global geo-politics and reorientation of international governance – anchoring multilateral diplomacy in the Global South.
Despite it being widely debated and deliberated upon, the focus of the UN has grown past safeguarding peace and security, with a huge role in assisting the development of the Global South. The Third World Approaches to International Law embodies this movement, describing ‘a system of international law that acknowledges and furthers the interests of the people of the Third World’. The UN’s relocation to Nairobi represents a profound shift towards this narrative.
Historically, influence within the United Nations has largely aligned with the financial contributions of its biggest donors, predominantly Western nations. Once seen as a distant superstructure, embedded in the high towers of New York, the United Nations is now repositioning itself within the heart of the Global South. This transition from glass skyscrapers to the lush green edges of Karura Forest marks a redefinition of the UN’s role in the world today and signals a commitment to entrench the UN’s goals and objectives within the very environments they are meant to serve. Africa, after all, hosts over 80% of the UN’s 90,000 field personnel. By bringing decision-making closer to where much of its operations take place, in line with a removal of redundancies, an opportunity to reset global policy and governance frameworks opens up, making them more responsive, grounded, and equitable.
Although the potential relocation of key UN agencies to Nairobi remains a proposal and is not yet confirmed, what changes might we expect if the decision is made to move significant operations to Kenya? Nairobi, as compared to New York, presents a more striking juxtaposition of wealth and poverty, where neighbourhoods like Kawangware sit beside affluent enclaves like Lavington. Kenya’s overall poverty headcount rate for individuals sits at 39.8%, of which nearly 20 million people, of a nation of approximately 50 million people, ‘could not meet their basic food and non-food needs’. This visible proximity of inequality challenges the UN to confront the realities of economic disparity in ways that are impossible to ignore.
Why Is This Change Happening?
Structural Drivers
The relocation of the United Nations global offices of UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women from New York to Nairobi by 2026 is driven by a combination of financial pressures, operational efficiency ambitions, and strategic goals aimed at deepening regional engagement in Africa.
UN Budget Constraints and Funding Cuts
The UN’s operation relies on the assessed contributions of its 193 Member States, calculated according to each country’s economic capacity. Historically, the United States has been the largest contributor since the UN's founding in 1945. However, in 2025, with a total UN funding receipt of $5.6 billion against a target budget of $44 billion, the US capped its contribution at 22%, despite its peacekeeping assessment being set at 26.94%. This cutback has intensified budgetary constraints across the UN system, necessitating reforms to reduce costs and improve resource utilisation.
Comparative Operational Costs: Nairobi vs. New York
Cost considerations are a significant incentive for the move. New York's high cost of living, office rent, and salary overheads make it one of the most expensive UN duty stations globally. In contrast, Nairobi offers are at a slightly lower base cost. For example, although National Officer (NO) staff salaries in Nairobi range grossly from approximately KES7.6 million to KES25.7 million – US$59,000 to $198,000 –, in New York the range is $67,000 to $176,000 annually. The cost-of-living comparison is a more significant cost difference compared to salary: maintaining a similar standard of living requires about US$11,384 in New York versus just KES340,000 – approx. $2,600 – in Nairobi monthly.
In addition to salary differences, rental subsidies paid by the UN, which help staff cover housing costs when relocating beyond commuting distance, will be reduced due to lower rental prices in Nairobi. Secretariat staff members at the Professional level and above, as well as certain field and internationally recruited General Service staff, who receive such subsidies, will consequently generate lower operational costs for the organisation. The urgency of this measure is underscored by deepening financial crises that have already forced programme cuts and job losses across the UN. For example, funding reductions have already impacted UNFPA’s ability to support women and girls in crisis zones – including hiring midwives, supplying medicines, and running safe spaces for survivors of violence. In this context, operational cost savings are essential to sustaining vital services and protecting vulnerable populations around the world.
Deepening Regional Engagement
Beyond cost savings, this move aligns with the UN@80 reform agenda to decentralise the organisation, increase on-the-ground presence, and improve regional coordination, particularly with African institutions like the African Union. The aim is to make the UN more responsive to local development needs, tailoring its interventions to regional contexts. Relocating UNICEF, UN Women, and UNFPA’s global offices in Nairobi allows these agencies to streamline programmes focused on sexual and reproductive health, child welfare, education, and women’s empowerment across Africa, strengthening their operational impact and regional partnerships.
Controversy and Resistance
The decision to relocate key UN offices to Nairobi has faced criticism rooted mainly in concerns about the local socio-political environment. UNFPA, for instance, is tasked with promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, but Kenya’s criminalisation of same-sex relationships and lack of explicit protections for gender identity raise fears that advocacy efforts might be compromised. While LGBTQ+ advocacy groups do operate in Kenya, such as the NGLHRC, they face restricted civic space and social challenges. For instance, the proposed Family Protection Bill threatens to restrict access to healthcare and emergency medical care for people engaged in prohibited sexual activities, which would contradict fundamental humanitarian principles. For instance, the bill threatens to restrict access to healthcare and emergency medical care for people engaged in prohibited sexual activities, which would contradict fundamental humanitarian principles.
Consequently, New York based UNFPA staff have voiced concerns over the potential loss of influence on global policy when moving to a more conservative setting. Staff morale has reportedly been affected by perceptions of inadequate consultation and fears that the move may reduce the effectiveness of their rights-based advocacy, given the region's restrictive reproductive health laws and cultural barriers for women and adolescents.
Concerns Over Governance, Stability, and Image
Recent unrest in Kenya further complicates perceptions about the relocation. Since mid-2024, large-scale protests erupted in response to grievances including police brutality, corruption, and cost-of-living increases, culminating in several deadly confrontations with security forces. In July 2025 alone, protests led to at least 31 civilian deaths in a single day, with widespread arrests and serious human rights concerns, attracting criticism from international watchdogs and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Such instability threatens the reputation and operational security of the UN offices moving to Nairobi. Key stakeholders worry about the Kenyan government's capacity to maintain an environment safe for UN staff and conducive to the organisation’s work – particularly for UNFPA and UN Women, given their sensitive mandates related to gender and reproductive rights amid a tense socio-political climate.
Impacts on Kenya & East Africa
Socio-Economic Upside
The relocation presents a significant economic opportunity for Kenya and the wider East African region. The accompanying $340 million investment into the UN complex in Nairobi’s Gigiri area includes new office construction, a 9,000-seat assembly hall, and enhanced conference facilities, which create numerous jobs in construction, services, administration, information technology, policy research, and logistics.
The presence of over 800 additional UN staff, along with their dependants and support personnel, is expected to drive demand in local housing, hospitality, healthcare, education, and professional services. This will broadly stimulate Kenyan industries while offering new opportunities for local businesses, contractors, and professionals to engage with international operations.
This has major implications to the regional commercial hub of East Africa, especially since Kenya is known to be home to one of sub-Saharan Africa’s ‘most advanced technology ecosystems’. Kenya also has plans to put in place a 5,000 acre ‘Silicon Savannah’, the Konza Technopolis as part of Kenya’s Vision 2030 Programme and boasts the region’s ‘most prominent FinTech success stories’ like Safaricom. Hence , the UN complex to be established as part of a once-in-a-generation modernisation effort, is anticipated to bring in more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the country as well as regionally within East Africa and for the larger continent. This projection reflects considerable efforts that have been instrumental in the implementation of new infrastructure projects such as the Usahihi Expressway and a new transit system.
Social Challenges
The underlying question remains: can Nairobi handle an influx of employees and tourists in relation to this move?
The city is already undergoing rapid transformation, with residents raising concerns over strained infrastructure, including inconsistent water supply, unreliable electricity, and worsening traffic congestion. While the government has committed to critical infrastructure upgrades such as expanding UN Avenue into a dual carriageway and enhancing water, sanitation, and internet services around the UN complex, these efforts may still fall short of meeting the increased demand.
Furthermore, this rapid development may accelerate gentrification in affluent Nairobi districts such as Gigiri, Runda, Muthaiga, and Kitisuru. UN International Professional staff typically reside in these high-end areas, escalating property prices and living costs. This trend risks displacing lower-income communities, threatening social cohesion by limiting affordable housing options and fostering demographic shifts that may marginalise long-standing residents.
The resulting inflationary pressures could exacerbate inequality and challenge urban inclusivity, raising questions about how economic growth benefits are shared across Nairobi’s population, in a demographic already challenged where less than 0.1% own more wealth than the bottom 99.9%. Given that the UN currently seats UNEP and UN-Habitat, two agencies with core mandates rooted in sustainability and equitable urban development, it is imperative that any expansion of the UN’s footprint reflects these principles.
Geo-Political Implications
Although lowering the cost of operations could free up resources for the United Nations, making it leaner and potentially more agile, nonetheless, this financial prudence comes with trade-offs. As donor contributions face an impasse, the UN may face a diminished capacity to fully deliver on its expansive mandate. The United Nations already has for some time, faced criticism on its capacity, and the capacity of the international legal order, to effectively adjudicate multilateral disputes. With a time of mounting geopolitical tensions worldwide, in this context, the timing of the move raises questions about whether it could inadvertently serve as a retreat of the UN’s global influence or weaken the UN’s negotiating power.
While Nairobi may host a UN headquarters and Kenya has historically held a strong diplomatic position within East African, its declining regional influence and limited global presence, particularly after relinquishing its seat at the United Nations Security Council, underscore the constraints of its present diplomatic standing. Notwithstanding the expectation that foreign missions based in Kenya will experience rapid growth in size, compared to established power centres like New York or Geneva, Kenya's current capacity to shape international negotiations is relatively modest. This shift could mark the beginning of a new chapter, one in which Kenya, and Africa more broadly, emerges as a more central player in shaping global governance and diplomacy. However, the success of this vision remains to be seen.
Peace and Security Risks
Nairobi’s recent political unrest and violent protests underline potential security risks for international staff and organisations. Widespread demonstrations, civilian casualties, and critiques of government crackdowns fuel concerns over governance and operational stability.
At the same time, with Kenya’s 2027 general elections on the horizon, relocating more UN operations to Nairobi could coincide with a period of heightened political uncertainty. The broader East African region is similarly facing volatility, ongoing developments in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Sudan, paint a picture of regional fragility. These issues cast doubt on the safety of UN personnel and their ability to conduct programmes effectively in an unstable environment.
While the Kenyan government champions the relocation as a diplomatic and economic win, human rights advocates and some UN staff urge attention to these risks, especially given the sensitive nature of the UNFPA and UN Women mandates focused on vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Nevertheless, it could be argued that increasing the UN’s presence in Nairobi offers an opportunity to provide greater stability in the region. As a nascent diplomatic hub, Nairobi could serve as a platform for proactive peacebuilding, diplomacy and regional coordination, potentially enhancing the security outcomes across East Africa.
International observers remain attentive, balancing optimism for Nairobi’s rising global profile against cautious scrutiny of Kenya’s political and security landscape.
Conclusion
The Kenyan government regards the move positively, seeing it as a recognition of Nairobi’s emergence as a global diplomatic hub and a booster for national status. Conversely, UN leadership and human rights groups urge caution, calling for Kenya to address root causes of unrest and protect peaceful assembly rights.
Some UN personnel and international observers voice apprehensions about programme delivery, staff welfare, and the continuity of advocacy efforts under these conditions. Donor countries and partners monitor the situation closely, recognising that sustained instability and rights violations may impact funding and engagement strategies.
The UN’s relocation to Nairobi reflects and could accelerate global shifts in commerce and culture, positioning the Kenyan capital as an emerging hub of diplomacy and international influence in the Global South.
Much like New York has long stood as a nexus of diplomatic and cultural exchange, Nairobi is poised to become a ‘third space’ – a meeting point for global governance, business, arts, and culture. This status could foster new economic and creative opportunities, including growth in hospitality, media, cultural events, and international trade.
The presence of major UN agencies will likely enhance Nairobi’s international image, attracting further investment and elevating Kenya’s role on the world stage. The ripple effects on local business sectors and cultural industries could strengthen the city’s identity as a vibrant, interconnected centre of influence beyond traditional Western capitals.
