With barely three months to the elections for the next judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Kenya’s candidate Phoebe Okowa has promised a raft of changes to the international court.
Speaking at the diplomatic reception hosted by the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations on Tuesday, August 26, Okowa revealed that the issue of delayed justice is among the many issues faced in the international court, but if elected, she would streamline it.
"There are, of course, many areas where reform of the court is urgently pertinent. Many states and councils appearing before the court are simply frustrated by the slow pace of proceedings, with some cases taking as long as a decade before a final judgment is delivered,’’ Okowa said.
Okowa also revealed that the court has been slow in the uptake of technology, including in relation to the filing of recent cases.
‘’If elected, I will work with colleagues to strengthen the court in ways that would meet the 21st century challenges and sustain confidence the states increasingly place on it,’’ Okowa continued.
Okowa, who was born and raised in Kenya, also championed the role of education.
‘’I was born and educated in Kenya, my father was a school teacher, and my mother looked after our large family. Like most Kenyan families then and now, the great concern was always education. Education is crucial, it also opens the doors for playing your full roles in the society,’’ Okawa said.
Okawa, who is a current member of the International Law Commission, was nominated on March 1.
“The highly distinguished Prof. Phoebe Okowa, member of the International Law Commission, is Kenya’s nominee for Judge of the International Court of Justice during the election of 2026,” Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said when revealing her as Kenya’s candidate.
The election will be to fill the seat of Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia), who informed the President of the International Court of Justice of his resignation as a member of the Court, effective September 30, 2025.
In accordance with Article 14 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, it was decided that the election to fill the vacancy would take place on November 12, during the Security Council's meeting and the General Assembly's eightieth session.
Okowa, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, is renowned for her expertise in public international law.
In 2021, Okowa was elected to the United Nations International Law Commission for a five-year term starting January 1, 2023, becoming the first African woman to serve as a member.
