NAIROBI, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations plans to set up three new global offices in Kenya by the end of 2026, solidifying the role of Nairobi, the East African country's capital, as a key hub for UN operations, officials said Wednesday.

According to Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, the new offices will host programs for the UN Children's Fund, the UN Population Fund, and the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Mudavadi made the announcement following high-level talks with Philemon Yang, president of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, during Yang's visit to Nairobi.

Mudavadi, who also serves as Kenya's cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, noted that the new offices would enhance the UN's activities, reinforcing his country's leadership in regional and global affairs since joining the international organization on Dec. 16, 1963.

The planned offices will join the two existing global UN headquarters in Nairobi: the UN Environment Program and the UN Human Settlements Program.

On his part, Yang praised the Kenyan government for its support of the UN's presence in Nairobi, noting the significant developments he observed and commending the strong cooperation and partnership from Kenya.

Zainab Hawa Bangura, director-general of the UN Office at Nairobi, acknowledged Kenya's pivotal role in supporting the expansion of UN operations. She praised the Kenyan government's continued commitment to realizing mutual benefits from UN programs in the country.

Bangura highlighted Nairobi's rapid growth as a UN duty station, saying, "We have 86 UN offices in Kenya, with 73 in Gigiri, Nairobi. When the UNEP was set up, we had only 300 staff. Now we are boasting of 6,500 staff and 11,000 families and dependents."

She added that the UN would invest 340 million U.S. dollars to upgrade infrastructure in Nairobi, including the construction of an Assembly Hall -- the first built by the UN General Assembly since 1949. Enditem

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