In a letter dated February 25, 2025, to Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, outgoing LSK president Faith Odhiambo said they are focused on backing Prof Phoebe Okowa for a full nine-year term at the International Court of Justice.
The election is scheduled for November this year.
Okowa, a distinguished jurist and a long-standing member of the LSK, currently serves the remainder of Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf’s term, following his resignation in June 2025.
Okowa became the second African woman to hold the position following her election on November 12, 2025, by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council..
LSK said Kenya had nominated Okowa for the ICJ elections even before Yusuf’s resignation, and the November 2025 casual election victory strengthened her position.
“It would be imprudent for Kenya to nominate candidates for elections to two international courts in the same year, particularly when Kenya has already won the confidence of other states for its ICJ bid,” Odhiambo says in the letter.
She said as a matter of pragmatism, good diplomatic relations and regional balance in international judicial mechanisms, it is generally considered that a state ought not to field multiple candidates for international judicial elections within the same time period.
“Such a move would not only go against this generally accepted practice, but also jeopardise the candidacy of Okowa, who is already a member of the ICJ and who reportedly has a good chance of re-election,” Odhiambo said.
LSK further emphasised that in campaigning for Okowa in the casual ICJ election, Kenya made certain concessions and assurances to other states, critical to securing her re-election in November 2026.
Fielding a Kenyan candidate for the ICC simultaneously, LSK argued, could jeopardise these arrangements and compromise the diplomatic goodwill already built.
The Society also highlighted regional considerations, noting that for the ICC elections, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda have already nominated candidates.
Kenya’s candidacy under such circumstances would likely be unviable, and prudence dictates focusing efforts on the ICJ election this year, while strategically preparing for a 2029 ICC bid, LSK said.
President William Ruto and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have endorsed Kenya’s continued support for Okowa’s ICJ candidacy.
In a statement last month, President Ruto congratulated Okowa on her historic election, noting her leadership enhances Kenya’s influence in international judicial matters.
Similarly, the Foreign Affairs ministry has actively coordinated Kenya’s diplomatic efforts to secure support for her re-election
Okowa’s election in November 2025 marked a historic milestone, as she became the first Kenyan to serve on the ICJ since its establishment in 1946, and only the second African woman after Uganda’s Julia Sebutinde.
She is set to complete the remainder of Judge Yusuf’s term until February 2027, after which she will seek a full nine-year term at the ICJ starting February 2027.
The LSK underscored that it remains committed to supporting qualified and competent Kenyans for international judicial roles, including the ICC.
The society, however, noted that with careful planning, coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and early engagement, Kenya could present a strong candidate for the 2029 ICC judicial elections.
“Kenya should concentrate its energies on ensuring Okowa’s successful re-election to the ICJ, while preparing strategically for future ICC opportunities,” LSK said
Comments 0
Sign in to join the conversation
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!