Kenya Seeks Continental Support for Supreme Court Judge's International Criminal Court Bid
Nairobi, 11 May 2026
President William Ruto is orchestrating a diplomatic campaign across Africa to secure support for Justice Njoki Ndung’u’s candidacy for the International Criminal Court bench. The veteran Supreme Court judge, who helped draft Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and championed women’s rights legislation, faces elections in December 2026 for one of six vacant ICC positions. Ruto has already engaged presidents from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire, strategically timing his lobbying efforts around this week’s Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, where over 50 African heads of state are gathering. If successful, Ndung’u would represent Africa’s interests on the 18-member tribunal that prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Strategic Diplomatic Engagements Intensify
The diplomatic offensive gained momentum over the weekend when President Ruto hosted Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio in Nairobi on Saturday, 9 May 2026 [1]. Following their meeting, Ruto posted on X the next day, stating he had “informed President Bio of Kenya’s candidature for the position of judge of the International Criminal Court” and “requested him to favourably consider supporting our candidate, Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u” [1]. Earlier in the week, on 4 May 2026, Ruto had engaged with Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai at State House, telling him: “I requested President Boakai to consider the candidature of Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u at the International Criminal Court” [2][3]. The President also met with Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara regarding Ndung’u’s candidature [2][3], with Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire simultaneously agreeing to establish embassies to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations [4].
Africa Forward Summit Provides Platform for Campaign
The timing of these diplomatic overtures coincides strategically with the Africa Forward Summit taking place on 11-12 May 2026 in Nairobi [1][2], co-hosted by Kenya and France [1]. The summit is expected to gather over 4,000 delegates and more than 50 heads of state to discuss financing, innovation, industrialisation and youth empowerment [1][2]. French President Emmanuel Macron is co-hosting the event, which focuses on strengthening economic ties and is expected to culminate in the Nairobi Declaration [1]. President Ruto is likely using this platform to further advance Ndung’u’s candidature among the assembled African leadership [2], as the continental gathering provides an unprecedented opportunity to secure broad-based support for Kenya’s ICC bid.
Ndung’u’s Distinguished Legal Career and Refugee Advocacy
Justice Njoki Ndung’u brings substantial credentials to her ICC candidacy, having served at Kenya’s Supreme Court since 2011 [1] and being recognised for her expertise in constitutional and criminal jurisprudence. She was among nine experts who drafted the Constitution of Kenya 2010 [2][3] and served as a nominated Member of Parliament from 2003 to 2007 [2]. Particularly relevant to refugee communities across Africa, Ndung’u served as a UNHCR National Protection Officer, managing refugee cases across East Africa [2]. Her experience extends to the African Union, where she worked as a Political Analyst and contributed to the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights [1][2]. She was instrumental in drafting the Sexual Offences Act and pioneered zero-rating of sanitary towels in Kenya, whilst lobbying for paid maternity and paternity leave under the Employment Act [1][2].
Strategic Implications for Africa’s ICC Relationship
The campaign was officially launched on 4 May 2026, following a strategy meeting convened by President Ruto at State House with Chief Justice Martha Koome, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, and Justice Ndung’u [1][3]. Kenya aims to increase its influence within global legal institutions and bridge the trust deficit between Africa and the ICC through Ndung’u’s candidacy [3]. If elected during the December 2026 elections at the 25th Assembly of States Parties in New York [2][3], Ndung’u would join the 18-member ICC bench in The Hague [1]. The ICC elections will fill six vacant judge positions [2][3], with the court frequently dealing with cases involving sexual violence as a weapon of war [3] - issues that directly affect many refugee populations fleeing conflict zones across the continent. Ndung’u’s background in refugee protection and constitutional law positions her to address the complex legal challenges facing displaced communities throughout Africa.