UN headquarters in Nairobi

Established in 1996, the UN in Nairobi is the UN's headquarters in Africa.

Living and working in Nairobi is an exciting experience. The city isn’t just the capital of Kenya, it’s also the “Safari Capital of the World” and “The Green City in the Sun.”  This is the political, economic, and cultural heart of East Africa.

More than 18 UN Agencies operate in Kenya, employing some 5000 local and international staff. This includes two United Nations Programmes – the UN Environment (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) – which have their global headquarters in Kenya, making Nairobi the only United Nations headquarters duty station in the developing world.

The United Nations complex of buildings is located next to the Karura Forest in the Gigiri district of Nairobi, the exact address is U N HQ, on the famous and aptly named Nyamaiya United Nations Ave, West Mugirango, Nairobi, Kenya. The UN complex contains a 'green' building, a complete energy and carbon-neutral building, the first of its kind in Africa, recycling water and using natural light to reduce reliance on artificial lighting. In addition, the building is designed to use the natural flow of air as a substitute for air conditioning, and it contains solar panels to generate all the energy that the building might consume.

Daily tours if you are in Kenya and are keen to take a look are available in various languages (e.g. English, Chinese, German, French, Kiswahili).

Top tips for a career at the UN Nairobi

Our top tip for entry-level candidates is to perhaps start your search in a not so popular headquarter, the large majority of intern candidates start with a job search at the HQs in NYC or Vienna, our advice is to take a look at the opportunities at the United Nations in Nairobi as they offer many internships to help you gain vital contacts and experience.

If you would like help in exploring your career options at the UN or perhaps just an introduction to the possibilities for a career in International Relations then take a look at how we can help