A new legal issue has emerged regarding Francis Atwoli’s attempt at an unprecedented sixth term as the Secretary-General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU).
Petitioners have filed a case in court to stop Atwoli’s re-election, arguing that the election process on March 14 did not comply with the law. They claimed that the election violated the timelines for the election, was marred by irregularities, and did not include all labor unions.
Atwoli won the election unopposed at a meeting of the organization’s delegates at the Tom Mboya Labour College. The meeting had hundreds of workers in attendance, including 250 delegates and a number of labor unions.
Atwoli has run the organization since 2001 and is a dominant figure in the Kenyan labor scene. However, his leadership has faced intense scrutiny in recent times, with many calling for a new leadership at the organization.
Despite the controversy surrounding his leadership, Atwoli has been credited with increasing the membership of the organization from 300,000 to over four million. The organization currently comprises a number of labor unions and plays a critical role in the country’s major organizations, including the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the Social Health Authority (SHA), and the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA).
The case, filed by Fazul Mahamed in conjunction with the Institute for Democratic Governance, claims that the election was conducted prematurely. They have asked the court to cancel the entire process and stop the Registrar of Trade Unions from approving the results. They have also asked the court to stop the newly elected leaders from assuming office.