The Government of Kenya-United Nations Service Centre was on Tuesday, August 30, launched at UNON headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the centre will provide one stop post where UN staff and diplomatic community will access government services such as immigration, transport and safety authority services. This is in compliance with specific obligations to countries hosting the UN global offices to ease staff access to essential services.
Speaking at the event, Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo, who graced the event, underscored the role of UNON in the region and it critical role in providing administrative and common services to other organisation of the United Nations.
She said the service centre would enable the government provide improved services to UNON and other UN agencies and strengthen Nairobi as a multilateral diplomatic hub.
Other officials at the event were Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, PS Karanja Kibicho (Interior) and UNON Director General Zainab Bangura.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the new GoK-UN Service Center in Gigiri will expedite processing of visa, work permits and other immigration requirements and vehicle registration and NTSA- related services.
Matiang’i assured the staff their security is a top priority saying those who have been in the country for over seven years will be awarded Kenyan citizenship upon request.
The centre was necessitated by the need to centralize government services for the staff here in the country.