Kenyan legal scholar and international law expert Professor Phoebe Okowa has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) the United Nations’ highest judicial body marking a historic milestone for Kenya and Africa.
Okowa secured her seat after a rigorous election process at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the UN Security Council (UNSC) on November 12, 2025. She triumphed after four rounds of voting, beating three other contenders to claim an absolute majority in both chambers.
In an official statement, UNSC President Michael Imran Kanu confirmed her victory:
“At the 10040th meeting of the Security Council held on 12 November 2025 Ms. Phoebe Okowa (Kenya) obtained an absolute majority of votes in the Security Council,” read part of his letter, which also conveyed his “renewed assurances of highest consideration.”
Okowa now joins 14 other judges at the world court in The Hague, where she will serve a nine-year term. Her election makes her the first Kenyan by birth to sit on the ICJ bench and only the fifth African to serve in the court’s history.
Her election is particularly significant for Kenya, whose last representative at the ICJ was Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf a Somali-born naturalised Kenyan who served two terms from 2009 and even rose to become ICJ President between 2018 and 2021.
A Landmark Moment for Kenya and Africa
The Kenyan government had mounted a months-long diplomatic campaign in support of Okowa’s candidacy, rallying African and international partners since her nomination in March 2025.
Her election has been met with widespread congratulations from across the continent, hailed as a win for both Kenya’s legal fraternity and African representation in global justice institutions.
The Path to The Hague
The ICJ, often described as the “world court,” adjudicates disputes between states and offers advisory opinions on complex questions of international law. Judges are not nominated directly by governments but by national groups within the Permanent Court of Arbitration, who may propose up to four candidates each.
To be elected, a candidate must secure an absolute majority in both the UNGA and the UNSC at least 97 votes out of 193 member states in the General Assembly and 8 votes out of 15 in the Security Council.
A Distinguished Career in International Law
Professor Okowa brings a wealth of experience to the court. An Oxford University PhD holder, she has served as counsel and consultant to several governments and international organisations on matters of international law, including cases before the ICJ itself.
She currently serves on the International Law Commission (ILC) a body that develops and codifies international law where she made history in 2023 as the first African woman elected to the Commission.
An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Okowa is widely respected for her scholarship on issues of state responsibility, environmental law, and the intersection of international and domestic legal systems.
Upholding the ICJ’s Ideals
The ICJ’s statutes require its judges to be individuals of “high moral character and recognized competence in international law.” They also ensure that the court represents the world’s principal legal systems and that no two judges come from the same country.
As Okowa prepares to take her seat in The Hague, her election stands not only as a personal achievement but also as a powerful testament to Kenya’s growing influence in global diplomacy and the international legal arena.
