President William Ruto has put forward Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u as Kenya’s official candidate for the December election of judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
Ndung’u, who has served on Kenya’s Supreme Court since 2011, will compete with nominees from around the world for a seat on the ICC, which handles cases of the gravest international crimes.
Among the other candidates are Deo John Nangela of Tanzania, Rosette Muzigo from Uganda, Everlyn Ankumah of Ghana, Guénaël Mettraux from Switzerland, Yoshimitsu Yamauchi of Japan, and Diana Carolina Olarte from Colombia.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Ndung’u represented her constituency in the 9th Parliament as a Member of Parliament under the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) from 2003 to 2007.
She was appointed to the Supreme Court on June 16, 2011, becoming part of the inaugural bench after her nomination by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). She officially assumed office on August 26, 2011.
During her 14 years on the bench, Ndung’u has been part of seven-judge panels handling some of Kenya’s most high-profile cases, including presidential election disputes. She notably sat on the panel that ruled on the 2017 presidential election petition, which led to the annulment of the initial results and the ordering of a repeat vote.
If elected to the ICC, Ndung’u will preside over cases involving genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, playing a key role in the global fight against the most serious violations of international law.
Her nomination comes at a sensitive time for Kenya, with the 2027 General Elections less than two years away. Her potential departure would reduce the Supreme Court bench by one member.
This development coincides with the JSC’s process of appointing a new Supreme Court judge following the passing of Justice Mohamed Ibrahim on December 17 last year. The commission received six applications before the February 17, 2026 deadline.
The applicants are Justice Katwa Kigen, Justice Joseph Kiplagat Sergon, Justice Warsame Mohammed, Justice Francis Kipruto Tuiyot, Anne Waceke Kiratu Makori, and Lilian Wanjiku Wachira, JSC confirmed in a statement on Wednesday, February 25.