Atwoli: Why I’m ready to work with President Ruto
Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli on Saturday explained that he met President William Ruto last Thursday to discuss problems affecting Kenyan workers.
Atwoli also disclosed that he briefed Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance leader Raila Odinga before he met President Ruto at State House in Nairobi and dismissed claims that his move was out of self interest.
Speaking at a funeral in Khwisero, Kakamega county, Atwoli said he explained to Raila that he needed to meet Ruto for the sake of the workers he represents.
Atwoli said his continued support for the Azimio leader against the government would jeopardise his job and harm Kenyan workers.
The Cotu boss now says that he has decided to work closely with the president to enable workers in the country fully benefit from the government.
“As leaders sitting on various international labour bodies, I am obliged to brief the President on whatever is discussed at the forums and their outcome. This can only effectively happen when I am working closely with the President,” said Atwoli.
He told mourners at the funeral that besides discussing matters to do with Luhya unity and the way forward after the 2022 General Election, they also explored Kenya’s ratification of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (C190).
The convention, which was adopted in June 2019 is the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.The convention came into force on June 25, 2021.
As a result of his meeting with President Ruto, Atwoli disclosed that they had agreed that he mobilises all trade union General Secretaries for a meeting with the Head of State before the end of the year.
The Cotu boss said he also drew the president’s attention to the flagrant abuse of labour outsourcing by various government departments, parastatals and private firms. “The government losses billions of shillings through this scheme of labour outsourcing. These firms evade paying the government everything...from NHIF, NSSF to Pay As You Earn. The government needs to stop this trend,” Atwoli said.
The outspoken trade unionist threw his weight behind Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as the Western region’s kingpin and urged him to unite the region so that it could speak in one voice.
Atwoli’s latest stand on Mudavadi is a complete departure from the one he had taken in the countdown to the General Election in which he anointed former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya as the Western region kingpin.
“It is my petition to all members of the Mulembe nation to throw their weight behind Mudavadi as our point-man. By the very fact that he is serving in a very senior position in government, he is better placed to represent us, said Atwoli.
During the Thursday meeting at State House Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Kakamega Senator Dr Boni Khalwale, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa, former Mumias East MP Ben Washiali, Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe and former Kakamega governor candidate Cleophas Malala were present.
In the countdown to the August 9, 2022 General Election, the flamboyant trade unionist minced no words against then Deputy President.
For a man known to always shoot from the hip, Atwoli never spared any available opportunity to throw jibes at Ruto as he traversed the country in the company of other Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leaders campaigning for their candidate, Raila Odinga.
For more than two years, Atwoli, the ODM leader die-hard had taken upon himself the mandate of reminding Kenyans how difficult it would be for Dr Ruto to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
