Kenya has scored another big win on the world stage after Professor Phoebe Okowa was elected a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague. The announcement came on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, after a tight vote at the United Nations in New York.
Okowa managed to get the required majority in both the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. Under ICJ rules, a candidate must win an absolute majority in the two bodies, which vote separately. This is why such elections often drag on for several rounds. Having just one organ on your side is not enough.
The race took a major turn after the second round of voting. Sierra Leone, which had been pushing its own candidate Charles Jalloh, pulled him out of the contest. The country then said it was throwing its weight behind Okowa. That move cleared the path for the Kenyan candidate, and she went on to take the seat. She will now serve for nine years.
Soon after the results came out, President William Ruto congratulated her on his official Facebook page. He described her election as a proud moment for Kenya and a clear sign of the legal expertise and integrity the country continues to offer the international community. He also wished her success in her new role, saying he hopes she will help the court uphold international law and promote peaceful settlement of disputes between nations. He ended his message with a simple line many Kenyans have since echoed online: Kenya is proud of her.
Okowa is no stranger to the global stage. She is a Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London and has served as a member of the UN International Law Commission. Last year, she was elected to the ICJ to complete the remaining term of Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf of Somalia, becoming the first Kenyan to sit on the bench. That term runs out in February 2027, so this latest win gives her a full term at the court.
The ICJ is the main judicial organ of the United Nations. It handles disputes between countries and gives legal opinions on matters referred to it by UN bodies. A seat on the 15-member bench is among the most respected positions in international law, and Kenya will now keep its voice at the table for years to come.
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