NAIROBI, Kenya May 12 – Kenya has intensified diplomatic efforts to secure a position at the International Criminal Court (ICC), with President William Ruto taking a leading role in lobbying support for Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
During bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the summit, President Ruto formally introduced Justice Njoki to visiting world leaders, presenting her as Kenya’s candidate for election to the ICC bench.
Among the leaders engaged by the Kenyan Head of State was Emmanuel Macron of France, whom Ruto welcomed at State House Nairobi on Sunday evening before highlighting Kenya’s push for representation at the Hague-based court.
The campaign also extended to West African leaders, including Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, Joseph Boakai of Liberia and Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, as Kenya seeks to consolidate backing ahead of the ICC elections.
Officials familiar with the diplomatic outreach say Nairobi is positioning Justice Njoki as one of Africa’s most experienced and distinguished jurists, citing her long judicial career and contribution to constitutional reforms.
Justice Njoki served as one of the inaugural judges of Kenya’s Supreme Court following the adoption of the 2010 Constitution and spent more than ten years at the country’s highest court, where she contributed to major rulings on constitutional governance and criminal justice.
She is also credited with spearheading Kenya’s landmark Sexual Offences Act, legislation that significantly strengthened protections for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Beyond Kenya’s borders, Justice Njoki participated in shaping the African Union’s Maputo Protocol, a continental treaty focused on advancing and protecting women’s rights across Africa.
Supporters of her candidacy argue that her legal expertise, human rights advocacy and judicial experience make her a strong contender for the ICC, which handles cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Kenya’s diplomatic push comes at a strategic moment, with the Africa Forward Summit bringing together a large number of presidents, diplomats and international decision-makers in Nairobi, offering the country a rare platform to directly lobby influential voting states.
For Nairobi, the bid is viewed as both a diplomatic milestone and an opportunity to elevate one of Kenya’s most prominent legal figures onto the global judicial stage.
