Prof Phoebe Okowa sworn in as first Kenyan judge at the ICJ

Professor Phoebe Nyawade Okowa has been sworn in as a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), becoming the first Kenyan and only the eighth woman to sit on the UN's principal judicial body since its establishment in 1945.

Prof Okowa delivered her solemn declaration at a ceremony in The Hague this week, formally taking up the seat vacated by Somali jurist Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, who resigned earlier this year.

She will serve the remainder of Yusuf's term, which runs until February 2027.

The ICJ, composed of 15 independent judges elected to nine-year terms by both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, adjudicates disputes between states and issues advisory opinions on matters of international law.

Unlike most organs of international organisations, ICJ judges do not represent their governments; they serve in an individual and impartial capacity.

Prof Okowa, a leading scholar of public international law, previously represented Namibia before the Court in the advisory proceedings on Israel's obligations regarding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Her election this month was widely viewed as a diplomatic victory for Kenya, whose candidate secured the required majorities in both chambers of the UN.

Prof Okowa's appointment also comes at a moment when African representation in international judicial bodies is expanding.

The continent now holds several key posts across the UN system, reflecting a growing push for a more inclusive and representative multilateral order.

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