Kenyan law professor Phoebe Nyawade Okowa has been elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a 9-year term, extending her position on the United Nations' principal judicial organ until 2036. Okowa's election was confirmed on Tuesday, November 3, after obtaining the required majority in separate ballots conducted by the UN General Assembly and Security Council. She received 183 votes in the General Assembly and 13 in the 15-member Security Council.
Okowa's election followed several rounds of voting and diplomatic efforts to consolidate support for her candidature. Sierra Leone's Prof Charles Jalloh, who had also been contesting the position, withdrew his candidacy, helping to avoid a prolonged electoral process. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei congratulated Okowa, saying her election reflected the confidence of the international community in her ability to serve the court.
Okowa will serve alongside newly elected judges from the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, and Jordan, who also secured positions in the latest election. Her areas of expertise include state responsibility, international environmental law, the use of force, and accountability for international crimes. Okowa has advised governments and non-governmental organisations on complex questions of public international law and has appeared as counsel in proceedings before international courts and tribunals.
Born in Kericho, Kenya, Okowa built her legal career through academic training in Kenya and the United Kingdom. She graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1987 with a Bachelor of Laws degree, earning First Class Honours, and became the first woman in the university's Faculty of Law to achieve the distinction. She subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from Wadham College, University of Oxford, in 1990.
Okowa was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Stockholm University in 2024. She has published several works, including "State Responsibility for Transboundary Air Pollution in International Law" and "Environmental Law and Justice in Context". In 2016, Okowa became a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, serving until 2022.
Okowa first joined the ICJ in November 2025 after being elected to fill a vacancy left by Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia, who resigned from the court. Her latest election gives her a full 9-year mandate, beginning on February 6, 2027. The ICJ, based in The Hague, Netherlands, settles legal disputes submitted by states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised United Nations organs and specialised agencies.
Okowa's election makes her the first Kenyan and the eighth woman to serve on the 15-member ICJ bench. Her published works and areas of expertise demonstrate her extensive knowledge and experience in international law. The Kenyan government and international community have welcomed her election, recognising her capacity to serve the court.
Key points
- Phoebe Nyawade Okowa is the first Kenyan to serve on the International Court of Justice bench.
- Okowa was elected for a 9-year term, extending her position on the ICJ until 2036.
- Her areas of expertise include state responsibility, international environmental law, and accountability for international crimes.
