Ruto: Africa must shape international justice in Njoki Ndung’u ICC bid

Kenya has intensified its push for stronger African influence in global justice systems, with President William Ruto endorsing Justice Njoki Ndung’u for election as a judge of the International Criminal Court and calling for a more balanced international legal order.

Speaking at State House, Nairobi on Wednesday during the launch of her candidature, Ruto said Africa must move from being a subject of international justice to an active shaper of it, while praising Njoki Ndung’u’s record in constitutional reform, judicial service, gender justice and protection of vulnerable groups.

He said Kenya’s backing is aimed at strengthening fairness and credibility in global justice systems.

“Today, Kenya stands before the international community, not merely to endorse a candidature, but to strengthen the course of international justice,” President Ruto highlighed.

The President described the ICC as a key institution created to ensure accountability for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression.

“The gravest crimes known to humankind must never go unanswered simply because perpetrators possess political, military or economic power,” he highlghted.

He warned that the court’s legitimacy depends on fairness and equal application of the law.

“International justice cannot endure if it is perceived as selective or preferential,” the President explained. “No global institution can command confidence if justice appears vulnerable to geopolitics or unequal power relations.”

Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu speaking at State House during the Launch of her Candidature for the Judge of International Criminal Court, May 13, 2026. PHOTO/PCS

Ruto said Kenya supports a justice system anchored on independence, impartiality and credibility.

“We support a court that commands confidence, not through coercive authority, but through the quality, fairness and credibility of its decisions,” he stressed.

He added that Africa must play a greater role in shaping international justice, noting its central place in global peace and conflict issues.

“Africa therefore cannot remain merely the subject of international justice. Africa must help shape international justice,” he noted.

He said many ICC cases involve African communities, making stronger representation on the bench necessary.

“It is therefore both appropriate and necessary that Africa has strong, principled and highly qualified representation on that bench,” he said.

Ruto described Justice Njoki Ndung’u as a principled jurist with a strong record in law, reform and human rights.

“She has not shied away when it was the right thing for her to stand, even if standing alone,” he said. “That is the essence of leadership.”

He pointed to her role in Kenya’s constitutional reforms, including her work in the Committee of Experts that drafted the 2010 Constitution after the post-election crisis.

“As a member of the Committee of Experts that drafted Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, she helped rebuild Kenya’s constitutional order around accountability, inclusion, institutional checks and balances and democratic renewal,” he stated.

Justice Njoki Ndung’u, a Supreme Court judge since 2011, was in January 2026 elected unopposed as the court’s representative to the Judicial Service Commission, replacing the late Justice Mohammed Ibrahim.

Her earlier roles include State Counsel at the Attorney General’s office, UNHCR protection officer, African Union political analyst, and nominated Member of Parliament between 2003 and 2007. She also contributed to the Sexual Offences Act of 2006 and the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights.

“These experiences have given her a deep appreciation of survivor-centered justice, accountability for gender-based crimes and protection of vulnerable populations,” the Head of State noted.

Ruto said Kenya will campaign for her election alongside jurist Phoebe Okowa at the International Court of Justice.

“We are going to campaign for you, whether at the ICC, the United Nations Security Council, the Bretton Woods institutions, all the wider architecture of global governance,” he noted.

He also urged more Kenyans to pursue international roles, saying support structures exist within the Foreign Affairs ministry.

“We have a whole department at the Foreign Affairs to support international candidatures,” he said. “We should also participate so that our contribution, our perspectives, our experience, can be brought into the international arena.”

Ruto expressed confidence in Njoki Ndung’u’s suitability for the ICC role.