UN-Habitat — international organization focused on sustainable housing and urban development, actively promoting affordable housing solutions and recognizing sustainability initiatives.
… Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, challenged the common belief that informal settlements arise solely from disorderly urban growth. …
… Kenya is hosting the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat offices but through the expansion programme it will be home to three more agencies: the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Women. …
… Kenya already hosts the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat, but the expansion will see three additional agencies relocate to Nairobi: UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women. …
… The Prime Cabinet Secretary further noted Nairobi’s growing global significance as a diplomatic and financial hub, hosting major UN agencies including UNEP and UN-Habitat. …
… A Kenyan session at the forum organised by the United Nations body on human settlement (UN-Habitat) in Baku, Azerbaijan, detailed the challenges of financing housing at scale amid shrinking external funding. …
The Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26) opened in Nairobi with community street art and plenary sessions emphasizing that climate action success depends on how cities accommodate growing populations through climate-resilient housing and inclusive urban planning. The conference, being hosted in Africa for the first time, brought together residents, policymakers, climate scientists and international delegates to discuss sustainability, climate resilience and the role of communities in shaping urban environments.
The Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26) opened in Nairobi with community street art and plenary sessions emphasizing that climate action success depends on how cities accommodate growing populations through climate-resilient housing and inclusive urban planning. The conference, being hosted in Africa for the first time, brought together residents, policymakers, climate scientists and international delegates to discuss sustainability, climate resilience and the role of communities in shaping urban environments.
Global leaders, scientists, policymakers and city officials meeting in Nairobi at the 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference have called for deeper collaboration between governments, researchers, businesses and communities to accelerate climate action and build sustainable cities amid rapid urbanization. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach warned that Africa's cities are expanding at an unprecedented pace while millions lack adequate housing and basic urban services.
Global leaders, scientists, policymakers and city officials meeting in Nairobi at the 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference have called for deeper collaboration between governments, researchers, businesses and communities to accelerate climate action and build sustainable cities. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach warned that Africa's cities are expanding at an unprecedented pace while millions lack adequate housing and basic urban services.
Nairobi opened the 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference on Saturday with a community street art initiative featuring murals on sustainability and climate resilience across the city. The week-long conference at the UN Complex in Gigiri brings together residents, policymakers, climate experts, and international delegates to discuss climate action and urban development.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said Kenya has committed Sh140 billion toward the expansion of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, complementing Sh44 billion invested by the UN, and that the government has allocated USD 1.1 billion for infrastructure upgrades around the Gigiri diplomatic enclave.
Deputy President Kindiki said Kenya has allocated Ksh.140 billion to support the United Nations Office in Nairobi expansion project, which the UN has allocated Ksh.44 billion for. Kenya has also invested USD 1.1 billion in infrastructure around the Gigiri diplomatic enclave to support the modernization.
Kenya has allocated about Sh140 billion to support the expansion of United Nations offices in Nairobi, with the UN contributing Sh44 billion, as part of a broader Sh140 billion investment to modernize the Gigiri diplomatic enclave's infrastructure. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the government views the expansion as both a strategic diplomatic achievement and an economic opportunity to elevate Nairobi's global status.
A United Nations-sanctioned report has identified backyard extensions as one solution countries can adopt to address the global housing crisis, which UN-Habitat warns is worsening amid rapid urbanisation and slow policy implementation.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi addressed Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, calling for renewed Global South solidarity and stronger multilateral cooperation, and warning that rising unilateralism and weaponisation of economic tools are straining multilateralism as countries rethink their diplomatic and economic strategies.
Kenya has presented its two-million housing shortage as both a development emergency and a business opportunity for investors while lobbying for funding at the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, where a Kenyan session detailed challenges of financing housing at scale amid shrinking external funding.
President William Ruto has called for stronger African multilateral financing and reform of the global financial architecture to tackle the housing crisis driven by rapid urbanisation. He highlighted that Africa will be home to 25 per cent of the world's population by 2050, with 70 per cent living in urban areas, making affordable housing urgent and essential.
President William Ruto held bilateral talks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on the sidelines of the 13th World Urban Forum, discussing cooperation in trade, investment, and sustainable development, with focus on Kenya's Affordable Housing Programme.
President William Ruto will push for reform of global housing finance systems at the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku, arguing that developing countries need more flexible and accessible financing to address rapid urbanisation and housing demand. Kenya plans to promote its Affordable Housing Programme and seek expanded international investment in housing infrastructure and climate-resilient urban development.
President William Ruto has travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), where Kenya will showcase its Affordable Housing Programme and sustainable urban development achievements. The government-convened forum aims to address the global housing crisis and Kenya will seek to mobilise partnerships and investments for scaling up housing and urban renewal projects.
President William Ruto is attending the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, where Kenya will present its Affordable Housing Programme as a model for sustainable urban development. On the sidelines, Ruto is expected to hold bilateral talks with heads of state and investors on cooperation in energy, ICT, infrastructure, and other areas.
UN-Habitat has opened nominations for its 2026 Scroll of Honour Award, recognizing initiatives advancing sustainable housing and urban development ahead of a June 23 deadline. The award, launched in 1989, will honor winners during World Habitat Day on October 5, 2026, as the agency highlights that an estimated 2.8 billion people worldwide experience housing inadequacy.
The United Nations is making a nearly $340 million infrastructure investment in Africa, expanding its Nairobi office into one of the UN's most significant global hubs. Secretary-General António Guterres will join President William Ruto on Monday for the groundbreaking of a new conference facility and inauguration of modern office buildings, replacing aging structures from the 1970s.
First Lady Rachel Ruto handed over a school bus to Farasi Lane School in Nairobi on April 29, fulfilling a pledge made during a UN-Habitat event at the school on May 30, 2025. Mrs Ruto said the donation represents an investment in safety, dignity and opportunity for children, and emphasised partnerships' importance in addressing learner challenges.