President William Ruto has nominated Supreme Court judge Njoki Ndung’u as Kenya’s candidate for the ICC, a move that may reshape the court ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Other candidates nominated for the elections across the globe include Guénaël Mettraux (Switzerland),Yoshimitsu Yamauchi (Japan),Deo John Nangela (Tanzania),Rosette Muzigo-Morrison (Uganda),Diana Carolina Olarte Bacares (Colombia) and Evelyn Ankumah (Ghana).
If elected, Justice Ndung’u will be the second Kenyan to join the ICC bench, after Judge Joyce Aluoch, who served in The Hague from 2009 to 2018.
Ndung’u is a distinguished legal practitioner and human rights advocate. She is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Human Rights and Civil Liberties, as well as a diploma in Women’s Rights.
She is widely credited as the architect of the Sexual Offences Act, 2006, and played a leading role in legislative amendments that introduced paid maternity and paternity leave under the Employment Act, as well as affirmative action measures for women in political participation under the Political Parties Act.
In 2011, Justice Ndung’u was elevated to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country, which has final appellate authority over all cases, including criminal matters.
