Internship Summary:
Organization: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Country: Kenya
City: Nairobi
Office: UN-Habitat Nairobi
Grade: I-1
Work Location: Hybrid, Nairobi, Kenya
Expected duration: 6 months
Application Deadline: 20 Nov 2025
Duties and Responsibilities
Organizational Setting and Reporting The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty. Urban environments continue to grow at unprecedented rates. Two-thirds of the global population, or six billion people, will live in cities by 2050. While they are economic powerhouses and present unprecedented social, economic, cultural, and educational opportunities, unsustainable urban development puts enormous pressure on the provision of basic services to citizens, especially mobility, sanitation, water, solid waste management, and energy. UN-Habitat, as a custodian of the ‘urban’ Sustainable Development Goal 11, is mandated to contribute to the creation of sustainable and inclusive human settlements, striving for a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world. Within this ambitious mission, UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section focuses on the provision of essential services to urban residents, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups who are at risk of being left behind – children, women, the elderly, indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and the urban poor. UN-HABITAT’S WORK ON URBAN MOBILITY Within UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section, the Urban Mobility team supports cities in achieving sustainable, inclusive, and efficient mobility systems. In Nairobi, this support is anchored on the development of a Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Master Plan, which seeks to position walking and cycling as central to the city’s mobility future. This work is particularly relevant in the context of Nairobi’s rapid urbanisation, where car-oriented development has dominated, leading to unsafe conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, increased congestion, and rising emissions. UN-Habitat’s work in Nairobi goes beyond policy and planning to include street design interventions that reclaim space for people. Through the Kenya Urban Mobility Improvement Project (KUMIP), UN-Habitat is supporting Nairobi City County in redesigning streets within the Central Business District (CBD). These interventions prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users, offering safer and more inclusive public spaces while reducing the dominance of private vehicles. The effort to reclaim CBD streets demonstrates how evidence-based design can transform urban centres into people-friendly environments. A particular focus of UN-Habitat’s engagement in Nairobi is on children’s mobility and road safety. Building on its global road safety agenda, UN-Habitat has piloted Safe Routes to School (SR2S) assessments around Moi Avenue Primary School and Muthurwa Primary School. These assessments captured the perspectives of children, teachers, and parents on the road safety risks faced on their daily journeys. The findings revealed widespread challenges, including unsafe crossings, inadequate sidewalks, and high exposure to traffic, highlighting the need for a child- centered approach to mobility planning. Through this combination of strategic planning, street design, and participatory assessments, UN-Habitat is helping Nairobi City County reimagine its streets. The city is progressively shifting from a car-dominated model to one that prioritises the safety, accessibility, and dignity of its most vulnerable users, especially children. This work contributes directly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, positioning Nairobi as a leading African city in advancing sustainable and inclusive mobility. UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section is seeking a motivated and passionate Active Mobility Programme Support Intern to join the team in supporting the ongoing support to Nairobi City County Government. The selected intern will have a vital role in supporting the development of a Walking and Cycling Strategy for Nairobi through the lens of children, anchored on the city’s Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Master Plan and Safe Routes to School (SR2S) initiatives. This strategy will set out a vision, goals, and policy direction for promoting safe walking and cycling routes to schools and contribute to ongoing efforts to reclaim Nairobi’s streets for pedestrians and cyclists. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute directly to shaping Nairobi’s urban mobility transformation and to gain practical experience in sustainable mobility solutions that advance the New Urban Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Responsibilities: The recruited candidate will work under the direct supervision of the Lead of the Urban Mobility team. Supporting the team’s broad set of activities and projects, the Intern’s principal tasks will be as follows:
- Supporting the development of a Walking & Cycling Strategy for Nairobi through the lens of children, aligned with the city’s NMT Master Plan.
- Conducting desk research and synthesizing data from SR2S pilots, surveys, and participatory workshops with children, parents, and teachers.
- Assisting in the design and facilitation of child-friendly participatory methods (e.g., mapping, drawing, storytelling) to capture children’s perspectives on mobility.
- Drafting policy and strategy elements, including vision, goals, and recommended actions for child-centered active mobility.
- Supporting coordination with Nairobi City County officials, schools, and partner organizations to align the strategy with local priorities.
- Contributing to the documentation of lessons learned for potential replication in other African cities.
- Any other tasks assigned related to the team’s portfolio
Qualifications/special skills
Applicants must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
- Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
- Have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s, a Ph.D., or equivalent. Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite). Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Preferred areas of study: Urban planning/design, Architecture, Data Science; Environmental Science, Innovation Management; Computer Science, Urban Geography, or another field deemed relevant to the subject areas covered by the Programme for the purpose of this internship. In addition, successful applicants are expected to have demonstrated ability in one or more areas listed below:
- Sound knowledge and understanding of active mobility concepts, active mobility planning, road safety, street design principles, and child-centered mobility approaches is required.
- Familiarity with participatory methods for data collection (e.g., surveys, mapping, workshops, storytelling tools) is required.
- Strong writing and analytical skills, with the ability to prepare concise and engaging reports and policy recommendations, are required.
- Ability to work collaboratively with local authorities, schools, and communities, demonstrating initiative and attention to detail,l is required. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor’s or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Experience in researching active mobility in cities, particularly on walking, cycling, or Safe Routes to School is required. Experience in producing and disseminating knowledge products and policy materials, such as reports, briefs, articles, or infographics on sustainable mobility is required. Experience in working with local governments and community engagement is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.
Additional Information
Do you have any previous UN internship experience? If yes, please indicate the UN entity and the specific dates.
Intern Specific text
Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
Application Link:
https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/266691
