Kenya's Phoebe Okowa elected ICJ Judge
Crime and Justice
By
Mate Tongola
| Nov 04, 2026
Kenya’s Prof Phoebe Okowa has been elected a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after securing the required majority votes in both the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council.
Okowa will serve a nine-year term at the world court following a closely contested election in which Sierra Leone withdrew its candidate, Prof Charles Jalloh, and threw its support behind the Kenyan legal scholar.
Sierra Leone’s decision was aimed at consolidating African support for Okowa’s bid after the second round of voting exposed divisions in the continent’s backing for the remaining seat.
During the second round, Okowa secured 87 votes in the UN General Assembly but received only four in the Security Council, leaving her candidature unresolved.
Announcing the withdrawal, Sierra Leone’s representative to the United Nations said the government had decided to abandon Jalloh’s candidature and give its full backing to Okowa.
READ MORE
Data becoming defining 21st-century resource calls for digital justice dividends
Here's why expanding too fast can stymie your cash flow and customer trust
Debt or equity: Every source of capital has a price
Mbadi calls for lower lending rates to spur private sector
Electric mobility creates new pathways for African women entrepreneurs
How two ponds built a successful fish enterprise
Why some Kenyan retail stores survive as others fold business
Irish commerce chamber seeks new trade deals
How new SGR vehicle freight service is pushing drivers out of work
Fintech firms target Africa's fragmented cross-border payments market
The envoy urged African countries to unite behind the Kenyan candidate, warning that continued divisions could cost the continent representation on the world court.
“If Africa’s vote stays divided, the continent risks losing even the one seat now open to it and falling further below its already inadequate share. Sierra Leone will not let that happen,” the envoy told the General Assembly.
Under the ICJ election procedure, candidates must secure an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council to be elected. The two organs vote independently to fill vacancies on the court.