Kenya intensifies lobbying for ICJ judge race after series of losses at global bids

Nairobi nominated Phoebe Okowa for the job in March as Kenya’s candidate for the position, citing her competence and qualification for the job.

She is currently a member of the UN International Law Commission.

Okowa also led Kenya's legal team that on July 23 secured the landmark advisory opinion by the ICJ confirming states' obligations to protect the climate system and address climate change impacts.

She will face off with Rena Lee of Singapore, Jin-Hyuan Paik (Korea) and François Alabrune (France), who were nominated by their national groups to fill positions for the 2027–36 term.

As part of the lobbying, Kenya’s Mission to the UN hosted members of diplomatic corps in New York for the launch of Okowa’s candidature.

“Prof Phoebe Okowa is an outstanding jurist with 30+ years of experience in international law and was the first African woman ever elected to the International Law Commission. If elected, she would be the 7th woman ever elected to the ICJ bench,” the UN Mission said.

Okowa would also be the first Kenyan judge at the Court.

During the reception, Okowa said if elected, she will strengthen the court in ways that would meet 21st century challenges and sustain the confidence that states increasingly place on it.

She said she is cognisant of the  many areas where reform of the court is urgently pertinent.

“Many states and councils who appear before the court are deeply frustrated by the slow pace of proceedings, with some cases taking as long as a decade before a final judgment is delivered. The court has been slow in its uptake of technology, including in relation to the filing of written readings,” she noted.

Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei has also upped the campaign during his official visit to Singapore.

Following his bilateral meeting with his Singaporean counterpart Luke Goh, Korir said Kenya’s candidature for the ICJ position was part of the discussions, where he sought Singapore’s support for Prof Okowa.

He also campaigned for her when he met Côte d'Ivoire  Foreign Minister Kacou Houadja Léon Adom on the sidelines of the fifth Singapore Africa Ministerial Exchange Visit.

Okowa has also been campaigning for herself, with visits to Canberra in July and Kuala Lumpur on August 2,

During her visit to Australia,  Prof Okowa met various diplomatic representatives based in Canberra, among them Samoa, Timor-Leste, Nauru, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

In Malaysia, she met top officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There are high stakes in the race after Kenya's string of losses at continental and international levels.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga lost the African Union Commission chairship to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Youssouf in February. In 20i7, then Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed lost the AUC bid despite being considered the frontrunner. Amina was also unlucky in her bid for the WTO Director General in 2020 when she lost in the second last round of voting.

In July 2023, Kenya also lost the election for International Maritime Organization Secretary-General, with Ambassador Nancy Karigithu losing the bid to Antonio Dominguez of Panama.

The previous year, former Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo lost the presidency of the International Fund for Agricultural Development to Spain's Alvaro Lario.