Kenya has nominated Professor Phoebe Nyawade Okowa for election as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
The announcement was made on February 27, 2025, and was formally communicated through Kenya’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. The nomination was submitted to the Permanent Court of Arbitration and circulated to the UN Mission of Djibouti, which coordinates Eastern Africa’s representation at the UN.
Prof. Okowa becomes Kenya’s official candidate for one of the ICJ positions due for election in 2026, during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the Security Council (UNSC).
Prof. Phoebe Okowa, born on January 1, 1965, in Kericho, Kenya, is a renowned legal scholar, public international law expert, and respected practitioner in international dispute resolution. She is currently a Professor of Public International Law and Director of Graduate Studies at Queen Mary University of London.
She previously held academic positions at the University of Bristol and has been a visiting professor at leading institutions including New York University, the University of Helsinki, Stockholm University, and the University of Lille.
Prof. Okowa is also a seasoned legal practitioner, having served as counsel before the ICJ and other international dispute tribunals. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague, and in 2021, she made history as the first African woman elected to the UN International Law Commission (ILC), where she is currently serving a five-year term (2023–2027).
The nomination has been supported by the Kenya National Group at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and received a strong endorsement from Dr Korir Sing’oei, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Foreign Affairs. He stated:
“Professor Okowa is a highly distinguished Kenyan international law expert. Her nomination reflects Kenya’s long-standing commitment to multilateralism and international justice.”
The nomination was officially submitted in February 2025, more than a year ahead of the ICJ elections set for 2026. The elections will take place during the 81st session of both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, as part of the court’s routine nine-year judicial rotation.
If elected, Prof. Okowa will assume office on February 6, 2027, as one of 15 judges who serve on the ICJ. The elections will fill the seats of judges whose terms expire in 2026.
The nomination process is anchored at the UN Headquarters in New York, where each UN member state votes during the ICJ election. If elected, Prof. Okowa would serve at the ICJ’s seat in The Hague, Netherlands, the global capital of international law.
The court handles legal disputes between states and offers advisory opinions on legal questions referred by UN bodies and specialised agencies. It plays a crucial role in interpreting international treaties, resolving boundary conflicts, and handling state responsibility matters.
Kenya’s nomination of Prof. Okowa is part of its effort to increase representation and influence within international legal institutions. Prof. Okowa’s career stands as a beacon of academic brilliance and judicial excellence. She was the first woman to graduate with a First Class Honours LLB from the University of Nairobi in 1987.
She later pursued postgraduate studies at Oxford University’s Wadham College, earning both a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) under the supervision of the late Prof. Sir Ian Brownlie, one of the 20th century’s leading authorities on international law.
Her legal work spans core areas such as state responsibility, transboundary harm, environmental law, and human rights, which aligns with the ICJ’s current and emerging caseloads.
The nomination also holds symbolic weight. With only a few African judges currently or historically serving on the ICJ, and even fewer women globally, Prof. Okowa’s candidacy marks a significant stride toward gender and regional equity in global justice systems.
According to Dr Sing’oei: “Her candidacy is not only about Kenya—it is about giving Africa, and especially African women, a rightful place in the adjudication of international law.”
Following the nomination, Kenya has launched an intensive diplomatic lobbying campaign to rally support for Prof. Okowa’s election. The first step was seeking endorsement from the Eastern Africa regional bloc, coordinated through Djibouti’s UN mission, and from there, reaching out to other African Union (AU) member states for continental backing.
Kenya is expected to campaign across different geopolitical blocs, including the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and alliances with nations in Asia, Latin America, and Europe, to secure votes in both the UNGA and the UNSC.
Winning a seat at the ICJ requires an absolute majority in both organs: at least 97 votes in the General Assembly and 8 out of 15 votes in the Security Council.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, alongside Kenya’s UN Mission and embassies abroad, will coordinate meetings, submit briefing papers, and leverage bilateral ties to promote Prof. Okowa’s candidature.
Kenya’s strategic messaging emphasises her unmatched qualifications, her jurisprudential contributions to international law, and her commitment to impartiality, legal equity, and multilateral justice.
Prof. Phoebe Okowa’s nomination to the ICJ represents not only a proud moment for Kenya but a landmark opportunity for Africa and the global legal community. Her wealth of experience, academic brilliance, and judicial integrity make her a strong contender for the world court.
As Kenya mobilises diplomatic channels ahead of the 2026 elections, Prof. Okowa’s candidacy is a symbol of African legal excellence, making its mark on the international stage.
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