Atwoli’s 24-year reign: Champion of workers or guardian of the status quo?

For nearly a quarter of a century, Francis Atwoli has stood at the apex of Kenya’s labour movement as Secretary General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU).

His tenure is one of the longest in the country’s labour history marked by fiery speeches, political visibility, and an unwavering grip on union leadership. Yet as he marks 24 years at the helm, the fundamental question remains: Has Atwoli been a liberator of workers or a defender of a system that continues to fail them?

Atwoli rose to leadership at a time when the labour movement was weakened by political interference, dwindling membership, and shrinking bargaining power.

Under his stewardship, COTU regained financial stability, strengthened union structures, and re-established itself as a political force capable of influencing national discourse. His defenders credit him with defending workers during attempts to weaken labour laws, pushing back against casualisation, and safeguarding trade union freedoms that had eroded in the 1990s.

However, critics argue that Atwoli’s dominance has come at the cost of genuine reform. Kenyan workers remain trapped in low wages, precarious employment, and deteriorating working conditions across key sectors from manufacturing and agriculture to the gig economy.

At the same time, despite his high-octane political pronouncements, Atwoli has conveniently managed to get weaved inside every administration no matter how critical he remained to office bearers before their rise to power.

Despite COTU’s frequent public pronouncements, minimum wage increments have not kept pace with inflation, leaving millions drifting further below a living wage. COTU’s leadership is also accused of aligning too closely with political elites, reducing its ability to challenge exploitative systems or confront government policies that erode workers’ welfare.

Additionally, Atwoli’s extended stay at the helm raises questions about succession, internal democracy, and generational transition within the labour movement. Many young workers feel disconnected from union leadership, which they view as elitist and out of touch with modern labour struggles such as digital labour rights, pension reforms, and social protection for informal workers.

On Sunday evening, November 23, 2025, the long-serving COTU boss who never shy away display his deep affection cosy lifestyle and affluence posted a photo of him at his private residence in Geneva, Switzerland after watching Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs play in the London Derby of the English Premier League.

“Enjoying a cup of hot tea after watching Arsenal match in my Geneva residence. God Bless,” he posted on his verified X account, @AtwoliDZA.

However, while it was a simple act of showing his support for the Mikael Arteta-coached Gunners, the post attracted a myriad of responses with some noting that it is not cheap to maintain a private residence in countries such as Switzerland.

It also served to recast focus on the veteran trade unionist’s net worth having started as a shop steward representing workers of the defunct of the Kenya Postal and Telecommunications Corporation (KPPTC) operating out of Eastlands areas now under demolition to pave way for President William Ruto’s signature affordable housing programme to rise to the helm of the workers’ movement in the country with no sign he will step down any time soon.

Atwoli has not shied away public display of his flamboyant lifestyle replete with palatial homes where he hosts key political figures, jewelry among other features of soft life including hosting private rhumba dancers band from Congo.

This even as Kenyan workers whose interests he is paid to defend continue to drown under reduced pay, retrenchment and lack of employment as a result of, among others, hefty taxation by the government.

The vocal unionist has been breathing hot and cold on issues such as the housing levy for which both employees and employers contribute 1.5 per cent of the employee’s gross monthly salary without assurance that they will get the affordable houses.

When contacted via mail and short text messages, Atwoli did not respond to confirm whether or not he will defend his current post during COTU elections slated for next year 2026 and his response on those critical of his leadership.

He has also been on the spot over the use of Sh90billion by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Board of Trustees to finance dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road.

The laser-sharp tongue trade unionist is never reluctant calling out wrongs and distortions.

When one of his critics, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua expressed fears that retirees may fail to get their money due to the long period it would take to recoup the funds, Atwoli hit back immediately.

“Atwoli has been quiet for a long time, but now we can see he can see clearly. At NSSF, where he serves as one of the trustees, workers’ savings have been diverted to build the Bomas of Kenya and the Rironi–Mau Summit Road,” Gachagua claimed in June this year.

In a quick rejoinder, the COTU supremo hit back accusing the former DP of spreading misinformation.

“Mr Gachagua’s claim that NSSF funds are being misappropriated is not only a distortion of facts but also a dangerous attempt to politicise a critical institution that safeguards the future of millions of Kenyan workers,” Atwoli said.

Atwoli has previously defended his wealth, which he estimated to be around Sh700 million last year, saying it was accrued through his employment and investments.

He also dispelled claims that he is bribed by unscrupulous employers to the detriment of workers.

“I don’t do business. I don’t ask for government tenders. I don’t have any conflicting interests with any employer. I am a 100 per cent salaried person and that has moved me close to workers,” he said during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive show in April last year.

However, his cozy relations with successive governments starting from second president Daniel arap Moi have been viewed as pursuit of selfish interests rather than promoting workers’ welfare.

Currently, Kenyan workers are languishing in poverty without disposable income and can barely afford three meals in a day for their families and themselves.

In a recent report, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, for instance, warned that thousands of public servants are now taking home barely a third of their net pay in violation of the Employment Act.

The situation is even worse in the private sector. Several companies have either closed shop, failed to pay workers their full salaries since the Covid-19 pandemic or retrenched them but are yet to clear their severance pay, among other obligations.