Professor Phoebe Okowa has secured a full nine-year term at the International Court of Justice.
The Kenyan legal scholar secured majorities in both UN voting bodies for a term running from February 2027 to February 2036.
President William Ruto has congratulated Kenyan legal scholar Professor Phoebe Okowa following her ICJ election victory. She secured a full nine-year term at the International Court of Justice, beginning in February 2027.
In a message on his official X account, Ruto described the result as a proud moment for Kenya. He also said it recognised the country’s contribution to international law through its legal professionals.
The President linked her success to the expertise, integrity and excellence of Kenyan professionals serving internationally.
Okowa secures majorities in ICJ election
Okowa won 183 votes in the United Nations General Assembly and 13 in the Security Council. Those totals gave her the required majority in both bodies, which elect the court’s judges independently.
She competed among nine candidates seeking five positions on the bench. The elections took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York on November 3.
Her new term will run until February 2036, extending her service at the court. She first won election in November 2025, filling the vacancy left by former Somali judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf.
Ruto also wished Okowa success as she prepares for her responsibilities. He expressed confidence in her contribution to upholding international law and supporting peaceful dispute resolution between nations.
A career in public international law
Okowa is a Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London. She has also served on the United Nations International Law Commission since 2021.
She became the first African woman elected to the commission, marking another milestone in her legal career. The commission contributes to developing and codifying international law.
Meanwhile, her work on the ICJ bench places her within the United Nations’ principal judicial organ. The court sits in The Hague, Netherlands, and settles legal disputes that states submit to it.
It also issues advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorised UN institutions. The court has 15 judges, each serving a nine-year term following election by the General Assembly and Security Council.
