President William Ruto has defended the decision to front Supreme Court judge Njoki Ndung’u for election as a judge of the International Criminal Court.
Speaking on Wednesday during her unveiling, President Ruto maintained that Justice Njoki’s nomination is a matter of national interest and international representation, not domestic politics.
Ruto said the candidature emerged from a competitive and merit-based process involving multiple Kenyan jurists and should be understood as part of Kenya’s responsibility to contribute to global justice systems.
“When this opportunity arose, Justice Njoki, together with other distinguished Kenyan jurists, presented themselves for a competitive nomination process, as we have been told by the Chief Justice [Martha Koome],” he said.
The President said Kenya reviewed her record across decades of public service before settling on her nomination.
“Under the Rome Statute, individuals do not simply present themselves for the ICC bench. Their country must believe in them enough to sponsor and field their candidature,” he said.
Ruto cited her work in Parliament, constitutional reform and the Supreme Court, arguing that her career demonstrated suitability for international judicial service.
“Kenya reviewed her record, reflected on her many years of distinguished service in the Legislature, the Attorney General’s office and the Supreme Court and considered her lifelong contribution to constitutionalism, gender justice, the protection of the vulnerable and many other contributions,” he said.
He added that Kenya’s decision was guided by her integrity and experience in constitutional law.
“Without hesitation, I concluded that she is exceptionally well suited for this important international responsibility,” Ruto said, adding that the bid is “purely Justice Njoki’s aspiration and calling”.
It is against this background that the President stressed that the ICC bid should not be interpreted through a domestic political lens, saying it represents a national undertaking requiring unity.
Ruto further cautioned against internal divisions around the candidature, insisting that such international campaigns require national cohesion.
“This is not about a person, it is about a nation. The candidature, including that of Phoebe [Okowa for ICJ], is about Kenya. It is not about her, William Ruto or other people, it is about all of us,” he said.
“There are moments when we stand together as a nation, irrespective of all other considerations. This is one such moment. There are moments when it is about Kenya.”
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi also defended the nomination, cautioning against criticism of such processes.
Mudavadi also warned against domestic political interference in the campaign and urged unity behind the candidate.
“When the President endorses a candidate, we need as a nation to ensure we get the signal right. That is now a Kenyan candidate. That is what you symbolise,” he said.
“We must divorce that from any local partisan issues. We are going to canvass in more than 190 countries and, in this instance, 125. We cannot go there saying ‘hoiyee!’ It is a different ball game altogether. And we must be united so that we focus on Kenya as a nation,” he said.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary announced that the government is now fully aligned behind the bid and has already begun international lobbying efforts after signing the Cabinet memo.
“Because bureaucracy is now chasing the President’s decision. I have signed it for Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General has signed, and the Treasury,” he said.
Mudavadi added that Kenya has also activated its diplomatic machinery to support the bid.
Chief Justice Martha Koome said Justice Njoki Ndung’u’s nomination followed a structured, transparent and merit-based national process involving the Judiciary, the Executive and relevant constitutional bodies.
She said the process was anchored in international legal frameworks, including Article 36 of the Rome Statute.
Koome said the Judiciary invited applications from judges of the superior courts, which were then subjected to evaluation by the Judicial Service Commission before recommendations were forwarded.
The nomination has, however, triggered debate over whether it could be influenced by domestic political interests, including claims that it is a plan to create a vacancy within the Supreme Court.
The Law Society of Kenya had earlier declined to nominate a candidate, upon request by the Attorney General’s office, arguing that fielding a Kenyan contender could complicate or undermine other international judicial bids, including Justice Phoebe Okowa’s bid for a full term at the International Court of Justice.
Despite these concerns, the government insists the process is grounded in merit and national interest and has urged political and professional actors to avoid turning the ICC bid into a partisan contest.
President Ruto said the department at Foreign Affairs in charge of international candidatures would campaign for both Justices Okowa and Ndung’u.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
President William Ruto has defended Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung'u's ICC candidature as a national undertaking based on her long record in constitutional law, legislation and judicial service. Ruto on Wednesday urged unity and warned against partisan interpretations over the candidature. The government, through Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi, says the bid is fully coordinated and already backed by Cabinet approval and international lobbying. Chief Justice Martha Koome maintained her tapping was a transparent, merit-based selection process. Despite this, critics question whether the move may be linked to internal judicial and political positioning.
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