Phoebe Okowa Elected to International Court of Justice for 9-Year Term

Kenyan legal scholar Professor Phoebe Okowa has been elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a full nine-year term after securing the required majority votes in both the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.

Okowa was among nine candidates competing for five positions in elections held simultaneously by the two UN organs on Tuesday. She secured 183 votes in the General Assembly and 13 votes in the Security Council, comfortably surpassing the required thresholds. She will begin her nine-year term on February 6, 2027, serving until 2036.

The other four judges elected alongside Okowa are Professor Dapo Akande of the United Kingdom, François Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, and Rena Lee of Singapore .

Okowa’s election marks a continuation of her service at the ICJ, where she has been serving since November 2025 following a by-election to fill the vacancy left by Somali judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, who resigned. Her previous mandate was due to end on February 5, 202 . Her election in 2025 made her the first Kenyan to serve as a judge of the ICJ.

She is a Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London, where she also serves as Director of Graduate Studies. She was elected to the UN International Law Commission in 2021, becoming the first African woman to serve on the expert body. She was also appointed by Kenya as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in 2016.

The election followed multiple rounds of voting. Sierra Leone withdrew its candidate, Professor Charles Chernor Jalloh, after the third round to consolidate African support behind Okowa. South Korea and Ecuador also withdrew their candidates, helping to avoid a prolonged electoral process .

President William Ruto congratulated Okowa on her election, describing it as a moment of national pride. “Your election is a moment of great pride for Kenya and a powerful affirmation of the depth of legal expertise, integrity and excellence that our country continues to contribute to the international community,” he said. “Kenya is proud of you” .

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei also welcomed the result, thanking UN member states for their support and acknowledging Sierra Leone’s decision to withdraw its candidate in the interest of continental representation.