Kenyan law professor Phoebe Okowa has secured a full nine-year term as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after receiving the required majority votes in both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
Okowa was among five candidates elected to the 15-member court during simultaneous voting by the two UN organs on Tuesday.
The other successful candidates were Dapo Akande of the United Kingdom, François Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan and Rena Lee of Singapore.
The judges are expected to begin their terms on February 6, 2027, serving until 2036 at the court’s headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.
Okowa has served on the ICJ since November 2025, when she won a by-election to fill the vacancy left by Somali judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, who resigned.
Her election to a full term marks a significant milestone for Kenya, as she becomes the first Kenyan to serve as a judge of the international court.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei welcomed her election, saying it reflected international confidence in her ability to serve the court at a critical time.
Okowa is a Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London and a member of the United Nations International Law Commission.
Established in 1945, the ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It settles legal disputes between states and issues advisory opinions on questions of international law.
