Ruto intensifies Kenya's campaign for ICC judge slot, courts global support

President William Ruto introduces Justice Njoki Ndung’u to French President Emmanuel Macron at State House Nairobi on May 11, 2026. / PCS

Kenya has stepped up its campaign to secure a seat at the International Criminal Court, with President William Ruto personally leading diplomatic efforts for Justice Njoki Ndung’u on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit.

Moments after welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron to State House, Nairobi, on Sunday evening, President Ruto introduced Justice Njoki to the French leader as Kenya’s candidate for election to the ICC bench.

The lobbying effort extended beyond France, with Ruto also presenting the former Supreme Court judge to Côte d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara, Liberia’s Joseph Boakai and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio.

According to officials familiar with the engagements, Kenya’s message to world leaders has been consistent: Justice Njoki is not only qualified for the role but also among the continent’s most accomplished legal minds.

Justice Njoki was among the founding judges of Kenya’s Supreme Court following the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution and served for more than a decade at the apex court, helping shape constitutional and criminal jurisprudence in the country.

She is also widely recognised as the architect of Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act, legislation credited with strengthening legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence.

Beyond Kenya, she played a key role in the development of the African Union’s Maputo Protocol, a landmark treaty on women’s rights adopted across Africa.

Her supporters argue that her judicial record and advocacy for vulnerable groups make her well-suited for the ICC, which handles some of the world’s gravest crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

France and Sierra Leone are among the 125 state parties to the Rome Statute that currently have judges serving at the ICC, making Nairobi’s outreach to their leaders strategically significant.

The ongoing summit in Nairobi has drawn an unusually high concentration of heads of state and senior diplomats, providing Kenya with a rare opportunity to push its campaign directly at influential voting blocs ahead of the ICC elections.

For Kenya, the campaign represents both a diplomatic and symbolic push to place one of its most prominent jurists on the global judicial stage.

Held under the theme “Africa Forward: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth", the Summit is expected to mark a significant turning point in Africa–France relations, anchored on a renewed framework of parity, innovation, co-investment, and practical implementation.

The summit's agenda will focus on seven strategic thematic pillars shaping Africa’s future development trajectory, namely, green industrialisation and energy transition; reform of the international financial architecture; blue economy development; sustainable agriculture and food systems; artificial intelligence and digital technologies; resilient health systems; as well as peace and security.

A major highlight of the Summit will be the Africa Forward Business Forum at the University of Nairobi, expected to bring together more than 2,500 CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, sovereign institutions, and policymakers in one of the largest Africa–France private sector engagements ever convened on the continent.

The Business Forum will feature CEO roundtables, investment announcements, business-to-business matchmaking, innovation showcases, youth entrepreneurship platforms, and sector-focused discussions covering infrastructure, logistics, AI, health manufacturing, creative industries, agriculture, connectivity, and clean energy.