Atwoli Meets Raila For First Time Since Defecting To Ruto

Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli on Saturday, September 2 shared a podium with Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga, for the first time since the vocal trade unionist decamped to work with President William Ruto.

The two attended the burial ceremony of COTU Chairman Rajab Mwondi in Mwondi village in Vihiga County.

The face-to-face meeting in Vihiga would represent the first time the COTU boss is sharing a stage with the former Prime Minister since December 1, 2022, when Atwoli met President Ruto at State House and vowed to work with him.

Francis Atwoli in conversation with Raila Odinga on March 29, 2022. /TWITTER

Since meeting Ruto, whom he had strongly opposed prior to the 2022 general elections, Atwoli has been criticising Azimio and constantly arguing that they lost the election to Kenya Kwanza due to a lack of adequate strategy.

At the burial ceremony, the two were however captured sitting next to each other, appearing to be in good spirits and did not appear to hold any grudges against each other.

Raila and Atwoli were in the company of other senior leaders, including senior COTU Headquarters managers.

Raila, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader, had long enjoyed the support of COTU. In April 2022, Atwoli, speaking on behalf of COTU threw his weight behind Raila's presidential bid, dismissing any chances of Ruto succeeding former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

However, after Ruto defeated Raila in the elections, Atwoli had a change of heart and at one point, confessed that Ruto's team had toppled Raila's camp in terms of strategy.

"We went to sleep thinking that we had won. We were politicking in the old way and people would shout at us and we thought that they were with us. On the other hand, Ruto had the political skills and he outsmarted us," Atwoli recounted.

In a statement on September 14, 2022, Atwoli congratulated Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, on their inauguration on September 13, 2022, at Kasarani and termed the President's speech as one that spoke hope in the ears of Kenyans.

The meeting at State House months thereafter shook political circles after Atwoli threw his weight behind Ruto, a man he is on record saying he would never succeed Uhuru. Photos captured him and the Head of State seemingly in happy conversation, quite the contrast to the former's snide feelings of the latter in the buildup to the August 9 general elections.

"This morning I paid a courtesy call to H.E President William Ruto whereby we held discussions on Kenya's ratification of ILO C190 and outsourcing of labour.

"I also sought an appointment with the Head of State to meet and share with all COTU Affiliated General Secretaries," Atwoli stated on December 1, 2022.

COTU Chairman Rajab Mwondi passed away on Wednesday, August 16, at the age of 67 years, having been born in Vihiga, Kenya, and beginning his career as a trade unionist in the early 1980s.

He rose through the ranks of COTU and eventually became chairman. Here, Mwondi advocated workers' rights and social justice and led COTU in a number of successful campaigns for improved wages, working conditions, and social security for Kenyan workers.

Meanwhile, Raila is slated to camp in the Western Kenya region following the visit of President Ruto.