United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) Director General Zainab Hawa Bangura has dismissed claims that the growing number of United Nations employees relocating to Kenya is responsible for rising rental prices in Nairobi.
Speaking during an interview with NTV on Wednesday, July 29, Bangura said the UN has not observed a significant increase in rent prices linked to the expansion of its operations and the arrival of additional international staff.
She explained that UN employees relocating to Nairobi are provided with detailed information about local housing costs before arriving, allowing them to understand the rental market and avoid being overcharged by landlords.
“When staff are coming to Nairobi, we give them an assessment of the cost of rent. They just don't come, so they know what is expected to pay. So nobody is going to overcharge them. It will not be accepted,” Bangura said.
Her comments come amid growing concerns among Nairobi residents over increasing housing costs and the broader impact of inflation on household expenses.
Bangura acknowledged that the presence of a large international workforce could influence prices in some areas, but insisted that the situation has not reached a level where it poses a major challenge to the city’s housing market.
“We have not witnessed a huge increase in rent at all. For me it is possible, but it is not a big problem,” she added.
However, rental prices in Nairobi have continued to rise, with some residents linking the increases to the growing number of foreign professionals, including UN workers, living in the city.
Recent figures from the HassConsult Property Price Index show that average monthly rents in Nairobi suburbs exceeded Ksh201,832 following a 1.3 per cent quarterly increase, while satellite towns recorded average rents of Ksh64,765 after a 1.4 per cent quarterly rise.
Addressing perceptions that UN employees live separately from ordinary Kenyans and drive up local prices, Bangura said UN staff are also part of the local economy and participate in everyday activities like other residents.
“And when we get to a restaurant, how do you know this is UN and this is not? I shop like any other Kenyan,” she said.
The UNON chief revealed that approximately 1,000 UN employees had relocated to Kenya over the past year, arguing that the figure was not large enough to significantly disrupt the housing market.
UNON serves as the official United Nations headquarters in Africa and remains the only UN secretariat headquarters located in the Global South.
The Nairobi-based headquarters has undergone a major Ksh44 billion expansion project, which includes a modern 9,000-seat assembly hall and more than 300 conference rooms. The expansion is part of efforts to decentralise operations and bring more UN activities to Nairobi.
The growth of UN operations is expected to attract additional workers, including support and service staff, raising continued debate over whether increased demand for housing and services could contribute to higher living costs in the capital.