You don’t usually see a presidential handshake turn into a job interview. But that’s exactly what happened in Nairobi over the weekend.
As French President Emmanuel Macron touched down for the Africa Forward Summit, Kenyan President William Ruto didn’t waste a minute. He personally walked Lady Justice Njoki Ndugu’u into a room with Macron. Then another room with Côte d'Ivoire’s Alassane Ouattara. Then Liberia’s Joseph Boakai. Then Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio.
The mission was simple. Sell Kenya’s candidate for a judge’s seat at the International Criminal Court.
And the sales pitch? She’s not just good. She’s the real deal.
Here’s a little background that might surprise you. Justice Njoki was one of the first judges on Kenya’s Supreme Court when it was created in 2011. She spent over a decade shaping the country’s toughest legal decisions. But her biggest legacy so far is the Sexual Offences Act. That’s the law that completely changed how Kenya handles cases of gender-based violence. Before that, survivors had very little protection.
She also helped draft the Maputo Protocol. That’s the African Union’s big treaty on women’s rights. Fifty-four countries have signed up to it.
So when people say she fights for the vulnerable, they really mean it.
Now she wants to take that fight to The Hague. And Kenya is pulling out all the stops to get her there.
France and Sierra Leone are both members of the 125-nation Rome Statute club. They already have their own people serving as ICC judges. That means their backing could go a long way.
With so many powerful leaders already in Nairobi for the summit, Kenya is treating every handshake, every dinner, and every quiet conversation as a chance to lock in votes. The race is still wide open. But one thing is clear. Justice Njoki isn't just another name on a ballot. She’s someone who has already changed lives. And she might be just getting started.
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