Prof Phoebe Okowa, newly elected judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)/HANDOUTKenya’s Prof Phoebe Okowa has been elected as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), marking another milestone in the country’s growing profile within the United Nations system.
Okowa, who currently serves as a member of the International Law Commission, was elected Wednesday evening after a tightly contested race in both the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the UN Security Council (UNSC).
The seasoned international law scholar secured the required majority in the fourth round of voting in the UNGA and the third round in the Security Council, defeating three other candidates vying to fill the vacant seat left by Somali Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf.
Judge Yusuf’s resignation, effective September 30, 2025, created the opening on the 15-member bench of the ICJ, which sits in The Hague, Netherlands. Okowa received 106 votes out of 185 in the UN General Assembly, surpassing the 97-vote majority threshold, and garnered eight out of 15 votes in the Security Council, the minimum required to clinch the position.
She was nominated jointly by Colombia, Kenya, Namibia, the Netherlands, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, and Vanuatu. Her term will run until February 5, 2027, the remainder of Judge Yusuf’s tenure.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, hailed the election as a testament to Okowa’s legal acumen and Kenya’s respected standing in international affairs.
“This victory demonstrates confidence in Okowa’s judicial competence and Kenya’s standing,” Sing’oei said shortly after the announcement.
“I commend our New York and Geneva teams for leading the charge and ensuring Kenya’s voice continues to resonate in global judicial forums.”
Okowa becomes the first Kenyan to serve as a judge of the International Court of Justice, marking a historic achievement for the country and the region. She now joins a select group of African jurists who have served on the Court, including Sierra Leone’s Abdul Koroma and Somalia’s Abdulqawi.
Her election further consolidates Kenya’s representation in high-ranking international legal bodies, including the International Law Commission, where she has served with distinction.
The ICJ, often referred to as the “World Court,” is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, tasked with settling legal disputes between states and giving advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorised UN organs and specialised agencies.
Okowa, who teaches international law at the University of London’s Queen Mary College, is widely recognised for her expertise in international environmental law, state responsibility, and dispute settlement. She has advised various governments and international organisations on complex transboundary and humanitarian legal matters.
Her election was celebrated across Kenya’s diplomatic circles and academia as a victory not only for the country but also for Africa and women in international justice. With her assumption of office, Kenya strengthens its visibility in the global legal landscape and reaffirms its long-standing commitment to multilateralism and the rule of law.
Okowa will be sworn in at The Hague in early 2026 and will serve until February 5, 2027.
In 2021, she was elected to the International Law Commission for a period of five years, starting January 1, 2023, becoming the first African woman to serve as a member of the Commission. In 2016, she was appointed a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague by Kenya.
An advocate of the High Court of Kenya, she has acted as counsel and consultant to governments and non-governmental organisations on questions of international law before domestic and international courts including the ICJ. Okowa was born in Kericho on January 1, 1965.
She graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) with First Class Honours from the University of Nairobi in 1987. Okowa was the first woman to be awarded a first-class honours degree in the history of the Faculty of Law of the University of Nairobi.
She was called to the Kenyan Bar as an advocate in 1990. Okowa then studied at Wadham College, Oxford, on a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Scholarship, obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) in 1990.
She completed her doctoral thesis (D.Phil.) at Oxford in 1994 under the supervision of Professor Sir Ian Brownlie, the Chichele Professor of International Law.
