Ruto nominates Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u for ICC bench

President William Ruto has nominated Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u for election to the bench of the International Criminal Court.

Ndung’u appears on the list of candidates for the upcoming election of ICC judges under the African States category. The election will take place during the 25th session of the Assembly of States Parties scheduled to be held in New York from 7 December to 17 December 2026. Six judges will be elected during the process.

Appointed to the Supreme Court in 2011, Justice Njoki Ndung’u is one of its longest-serving members. She has delivered notable opinions on constitutional matters, gender rights, social justice and the protection of fundamental freedoms. She chairs the Judiciary Committee on Elections and the Employee Protection and Inclusion Committee.

She previously served as State Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General, Programme Officer at the Institute for Education in Democracy, National Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Political Analyst at the African Union. A former Member of Parliament, she is credited as the architect of the Sexual Offences Act 2006. She played a leading role in introducing paid maternity and paternity leave and affirmative action for women in politics. She also served on the Committee of Experts that drafted Kenya’s 2010 Constitution.

Other African candidates include Deo John Nangela, Rosette Muzigo-Morrison and Evelyn Ankumah. Nominees from other regions include Yamauchi Yoshimitsu from Asia-Pacific States, Diana Carolina Olarte from Latin American and Caribbean States and Guénaël Mettraux from Western European and other States.

If elected, Ndung’u would serve as a judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Her vast experience in human rights and gender justice is expected to bring strong African perspective to the court. The nomination by President Ruto government signals Kenya’s active participation in international justice.