COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has defended his 24-year tenure, arguing that Kenya does not need young leaders.
Speaking during the official opening of the Third Edition of the Employment and Labour Relations Court Annual Symposium (ELRASE III) in Nairobi, Atwoli dismissed calls for younger leadership. He insisted that experienced leaders are essential for providing stability and driving national growth.
Atwoli credited the same principle for his long stay at the helm of COTU, where he has held the position for more than two decades.
“Let no one tell you that this country needs young leaders…nowhere in the world, how old is Donald Trump? Even the Italian president is 93, he has to be assisted to the podium,” Atwoli said.
“Even me, why do you think workers in Kenya have stuck with me all these years? They don’t want to let me go.”
The COTU Secretary-General also emphasized the need to safeguard children’s rights by providing facilities that support their growth and development.
“We have advocated for stronger social protections and we know the best way to protect a child is to ensure that the parents have dignified livelihoods,” Atwoli said.
CJ Koome Demands End to Child Labour
The symposium, hosted at Strathmore University, was presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome, who underscored the urgency of intensifying the fight against child labour. This year’s symposium, ELRASE III, runs under the theme “Elimination of All Forms of Child Labour and Access to Justice.”
“If we are to take seriously the promises of our constitution, we must take seriously the fight against child labor,” said CJ Koome.
“Child labour is an evil in our society. It robs children of their dignity and their future.”
High Court Judge Justice Antony Mrima backed her remarks, urging Kenyans to support the Judiciary in addressing the vice.
“The elimination of child labour cannot be done by the judiciary alone. May our conversations in this symposium inspire bold and practical steps to protect children and secure their full potential,” he noted.
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