Nairobi — Kenya has stepped up diplomatic efforts to secure a full nine-year term for Judge Phoebe Okowa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), after Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi launched her 2027 -2036 candidature during the African Union Executive Council Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In a statement, Mudavadi termed the launch a significant milestone, underscoring both Kenya’s national pride and Africa’s expanding role in global governance and justice.
Prof. Okowa, elected to the ICJ in November 2025, became the first Kenyan and the first African woman to sit on the world’s highest court.
She is also only the eighth woman in history to serve on the ICJ bench.
Mudavadi said Kenya will actively lobby and mobilize support from African states to ensure her continued presence at The Hague, emphasizing her distinguished academic background, vast experience in international law, and commitment to advancing global justice.
The International Court of Justice, or colloquially the World Court, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
It settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by other UN organs and specialized agencies.