Africa-Press – Kenya. Board members of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) have endorsed long-serving Secretary General Francis Atwoli, saying they will support him if he seeks re-election in the upcoming polls.
In a united front, the board welcomed Atwoli’s recent announcement of the forthcoming elections, expressing confidence in his leadership and praising his decades of service to the labour movement.
“Atwoli said on April 18 that he would issue a notice on the elections. As board members, we have already endorsed him. We have no other candidate among us,” one board member, underscoring their collective support, said.
The board also issued a strong rebuke to those they say are attempting to undermine Atwoli’s leadership, calling on them to stop interfering in Cotu’s internal affairs.
A section of Cotu Board members/SCREENGRAB
They emphasised that the union’s election process is guided by its constitution and must follow due procedure through the Ministry of Labour, which has yet to release an official notice.
They further accused some individuals of using social media to attack the Secretary General, insisting that many of these critics are not even members of Cotu.
“Let them slow down. Cotu has its rightful members and a constitution. When the time comes, anyone can contest through the proper channels at the Ministry of Labour,” the board added.
The remarks come just days after Atwoli publicly called for government regulation of social media, arguing that the current landscape is harmful to young people and detrimental to national discourse.
“There’s this thing called social media—it’s not in China, it’s controlled. The church must speak out, especially about platforms like TikTok. We can’t have such a society,” Atwoli said.
“Young people on social media have never worked in unions, yet they spread misinformation and incitement.”
He urged both the government and religious leaders to take a stronger stance on the issue, warning that unregulated digital platforms are distorting the labour narrative and damaging the union’s image.
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