Francis Atwoli Re- elected for a 5th term as COTU Secretary General
Written by RadioVuna on April 9, 2021
The Central Organization of Trade Unions at Tom Mboya Labor College in Kisumu just finished the exercise of election by re-electing Atwoli for his 5th term in office. Atwoli was re-elected on Friday unopposed for the 5th time as COTU Secretary-General by the trade union representatives; he’s held this position since 2001 after he took it from the late Joseph Joy Mugalla. On Friday Atwoli expressed his gratitude to Kenyan workers for trusting him through his tweeter account. “I promise to serve you with all my might and strength
and not betray the trust you have bestowed in me,” he said. 
He will serve for another five–year term in office. Although the Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary general Seth Panyako had shown interest in the union’s top seat. Panyako and a host of trade unions accused Atwoli of using unorthodox ways to put out rivals from the race and get a smooth ride back to the office. The other unions are Kenya National Union of Domestic Workers, Kenya Concrete Ceramic Tiles Interior Design Workers Union, Public Transport Workers Union, Rift Valley Workers Union, and Kenya Union of Secondary Non-Teaching Staff. Panyako wanted COTU elections canceled and the same held after May 26 when the term of the current officeholder ends. His current term is supposed to end on May 26. He was last re-elected on May 26, 2016, for another five-year term. On Tuesday, the KNUN boss wrote to Atwoli protesting what he termed his underhand dealings to lock out the nurses’ body from the polls. Atwoli had in a letter dated April 1 claimed that KNUN is not listed among unions that have completed branch and national elections, thus unqualified to participate in the poll.
