Kenya’s legal fraternity is celebrating after Phoebe Okowa, one of the country’s distinguished law scholars, was elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Phoebe Okowa was elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after a tense four-round voting process. Okowa’s victory followed a tense four-round voting process at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Her election was confirmed on the night of Wednesday, November 12 after she secured an absolute majority in both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, defeating three other contenders for the prestigious post.
How did Kenya react to Okowa’s win? Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei announced the news through his official X account, describing the victory as a moment of pride for Kenya. Sing’oei observed that Okowa’s win on the world’s highest level was a further testament to her judicial excellence. He credited the country’s diplomatic teams in New York and Geneva for their role in rallying support for Kenya’s candidate, saying the win reflected Kenya’s growing influence. “After four rounds of voting, Prof Phoebe Okowa, has been duly elected by both the UNGA and UN Security Council, a judge of the International Court of Justice @CIJ_ICJ, defeating three other candidates. This victory demonstrates confidence in Prof. Okowa’s judicial competence and Kenya’s standing. I commend our New York and Geneva Teams for leading the charge,” the PS shared.
The Security Council, through its president, Michael Imran Kanu, formally communicated Okowa’s election in an official letter to Annalena Baerbock, the president of the General Assembly. In his letter, Kanu confirmed that Okowa had received an absolute majority of votes during the council’s 10,040th meeting. “I have the honour to inform you that, at the 10040th meeting of the Security Council held on 12 November 2025 for the purpose of electing a member of the International Court of Justice to fill the seat that became vacant on 30 September 2025, Ms. Phoebe Okowa (Kenya) obtained an absolute majority of votes in the Security Council. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration,” Kanu stated. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs later released a statement congratulating Okowa, emphasising that her election underscored international recognition of both her legal credentials and Kenya’s stature within the community of nations. What was Kenya’s strategy for the ICJ seat? Okowa’s election did not come as a surprise, as her journey to The Hague had been carefully built over years of excellence and diplomatic work by the Kenyan government.
In March 2025, Kenya’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations formally nominated her as the country’s candidate for the ICJ seat. The nomination letter, addressed to the Republic of Djibouti, which coordinates Eastern Africa’s candidatures at the UN, sought the support of the African Group member states for Okowa’s bid. At the time, Sing’oei praised Okowa as a highly distinguished legal scholar and a trusted member of the International Law Commission, where she helped draft and refine frameworks governing international law. The government expressed full confidence in her abilities, describing her as competent and well-qualified to contribute to the work of the ICJ. Okowa(sitted) during a past meeting. Photo: Phoebe Okowa. Source: Twitter Okowa served as a professor of public international law and director of graduate studies at Queen Mary University of London. She has lectured in leading institutions across Europe, including Bristol, Lille, Helsinki, Stockholm, and the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre for Global Constitutionalism.
Her academic journey began at the University of Nairobi, where she graduated top of her class with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, earning First Class Honours. She later pursued postgraduate studies abroad, cementing her expertise in international law and diplomacy. In 2017, Okowa was nominated to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, joining an elite group of legal experts who help mediate disputes between states and international entities. She has also served Kenya in sensitive international legal matters, including as part of the country’s team in the maritime boundary case against Somalia at the ICJ.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
