President William Ruto has nominated Njoki Ndung’u, a judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, for election to the bench of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to the list of candidates published for the upcoming election of ICC judges, Ndung’u has been nominated 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 December 7 to December 17, 2026.
The process will see states parties elect six judges to the ICC bench.
The nominations include candidates from different regional groups and professional categories.
Ndung’u appears among nominees from African states and is listed under the female candidates in the nomination document released ahead of the elections.
Other candidates nominated from the African region include Deo John Nangela, Rosette Muzigo-Morrison and Evelyn Ankumah.
Yamauchi Yoshimitsu is a nominee under the Asia-Pacific States, Olarte Diana Carolina under the Latin American and Caribbean States and Mettraux Guénaël under the Western European and other States.
The election will be conducted by the Assembly of States Parties, the management oversight and legislative body of the ICC, which is composed of representatives from countries that are parties to the Rome Statute.
If elected, Ndung’u would join the panel of judges responsible for handling cases before the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands.
Justice Ndungu, appointed to the Supreme Court in 2011, is among its longest-serving members.
Over her tenure, she has delivered notable opinions on constitutional matters, gender rights, social justice and the protection of fundamental freedoms, contributing significantly to the country’s legal discourse.
Within the Judiciary, she also holds several leadership responsibilities, including chairing the Judiciary Committee on Elections and the Employee Protection and Inclusion Committee.
Before joining the Bench, she served in several local, regional, and international institutions, including 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 (UNHCR), and Political Analyst in Conflict Management at the African Union.
She is also a former Member of Parliament and previously served as a Member of the Pan-African Parliament.
Justice Ndung’u 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.
She also served on the Committee of Experts that drafted Kenya’s 2010 Constitution.
Her contributions have earned her several national and international honours, including the United Nations Person of the Year Award in Kenya and the International Commission of Jurists’ Jurist of the Year Award in 2006.
She has also received Presidential commendations, including the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) and later the Chief of the Burning Spear (CBS).
