NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s campaign to secure Justice Phoebe Okowa’s election to a full nine-year term at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has received a major diplomatic boost after 26 countries endorsed her candidature ahead of the November 2026 elections.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said the endorsements represent the highest number of co-nominations ever received by an African candidate seeking election to the ICJ.
Kenya officially launched Justice Okowa’s campaign in January 2026, seeking to secure her election for the 2027–2036 term at the world’s highest judicial body.
“I express Kenya’s sincere appreciation to all National Groups that have co-nominated Judge Phoebe Okowa to the ICJ for the 2027–2036 term, the highest number of co-nominations garnered by an African ICJ candidate so far,” Sing’Oei said in a post on X.
He also thanked United Nations member states and the broader international community for their cross-regional support as Kenya intensifies its diplomatic campaign ahead of the November elections.
“We remain grateful to all Member States and the entire international community for your cross-regional support and confidence placed in the candidature of Judge Okowa throughout this process as we look ahead to the November 2026 ICJ elections,” he added.
The countries whose National Groups have co-nominated Justice Okowa are the Bahamas, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Kenya, Latvia, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, the Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The endorsements span Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, broadening Kenya’s international support base ahead of voting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Judges of the ICJ are elected concurrently by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, with candidates required to secure an absolute majority in both bodies to win a seat.
The elections for the 2027–2036 term are scheduled for November 2026 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Justice Okowa is seeking a full nine-year mandate after joining the ICJ in November 2025 to complete the remainder of the term left vacant following the resignation of Somali judge Abdulqawi Yusuf.
At the launch of her campaign earlier this year, Kenya said her candidature reflects the country’s commitment to international law, multilateralism and the promotion of global justice.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said her election to the Court demonstrated international confidence in her independence, legal expertise and distinguished career in public international law.
Justice Okowa is a Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London and previously served as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC), where she became the first African woman elected to the Commission before later chairing its Drafting Committee.
During a legal career spanning more than three decades, she has advised governments, represented states before international tribunals and appeared in cases before the ICJ.
Her election to the Court in 2025 marked a historic milestone, making her the first Kenyan judge to serve on the ICJ and one of the few African women to sit on its bench.
Kenya has continued lobbying member states through bilateral and multilateral engagements to rally support for Justice Okowa’s candidature. Earlier this year, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi appealed to African countries during the African Union Executive Council meeting in Addis Ababa to unite behind Kenya’s candidate.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has also endorsed Justice Okowa’s bid, saying securing her election to a full term should remain a national priority in international judicial elections.
With backing from 26 countries already secured, Kenya hopes to maintain its historic representation at the ICJ when elections are held in November.