Mudavadi sustains campaigns for Okowa’s full term at ICJ

International Court of Justice Judge Prof Phoebe Okowa during the launch of Kenya’s candidature of the ICJ for the full 2027–2036 term on the sidelines of the AU Executive Council Meeting in Addis Ababa on February 11, 2026

Kenya has stepped up diplomatic efforts in Addis Ababa to rally African support for Phoebe Okowa’s bid to secure a full term at the International Court of Justice.

Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi used high-level meetings on the margins of the 48th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council in Addis Ababa to campaign for Prof Okowa’s 2027-2036 term ahead of the November election.

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Mudavadi said Kenya remains firm and focused on building backing from partner nations ahead of the election at the world court based in The Hague.

Mudavadi held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers from across the continent as part of the campaign push.

Among those he engaged were Ethiopia’s Gedion Timotheos, Algeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Attaf and Sering Modou Njie, The Gambia’s Foreign Minister.

He also met Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, and appealed for Nigeria’s support for Okowa’s re-election bid.

In the same engagements, Kenya also pushed for backing for two other candidatures.

These are Nkatha Murungi to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child for the 2026-2031 term, and the re-election of Litha Musyimi-Ogana to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for 2026-2029.

Mudavadi further held talks with Mohamed Nafti, Tunisia’s Foreign Minister, where he again raised Okowa’s candidature, while exploring avenues for expanding economic cooperation and coordination on regional priorities.

Kenya also formally launched Okowa’s candidature during the Addis Ababa meetings, signalling the start of an intensified continental campaign.

Elected to the ICJ bench in November 2025, Okowa made history as the first Kenyan, the first African woman and only the eighth woman globally to sit on the court.

Her tenure has been widely seen in Nairobi as a milestone for both Kenya’s legal diplomacy and Africa’s representation in global judicial institutions.

Mudavadi described the campaign as reflecting “national pride and Africa’s growing voice in shaping global justice”, saying Kenya would “actively engage and rally the support of our African colleagues” to ensure Okowa continues serving.

He noted that securing Okowa’s full term would not only cement Kenya’s presence at the world court but also signal Africa’s continued push for greater representation in global governance structures.