Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli on Tuesday, January 27, lifted the lid on the reasons behind President William Ruto’s 2022 General Elections victory.
While speaking during a presser, Atwoli admitted that Ruto’s victory had been accepted within the senior ranks of the opposing Azimio coalition.
“In the run-up to the elections when I was saying Ruto will not win, I was trying to energize you. In my inner thinking the new government had already been formed and as your parent I could not tell you that you are losing,” Atwoli stated.
“If you have children in your house you can not tell them there is no food. It was our work as elders to give you more strength to keep on fighting. It was a war and we could not say we were going to be defeated,” he added.
Atwoli added that prior to the 2022 polls, Ruto in his capacity as Deputy President had tactfully built bridges with influential personalities within government despite being locked out of office by his then boss, Uhuru Kenyatta.
“The former Deputy President, at that time, was out of government. But when we went to the elections, it was as if we had nothing. He took the government from us one year before the elections,” he asserted.
“Uhuru was President and Ruto managed to take his Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua. The whole intelligence section, William managed to get them from Uhuru and I knew that,” Atwoli expounded.
Atwoli made this admission while reiterating his stand on Ruto’s impending victory in the upcoming 2027 General Elections. The COTU boss stated that the brewing political alliances in the country do not stand a chance against the current Head of State.
“Kenya we have set a precedent of Presidents completing their two terms in office. Ruto will not be different. So get prepared for him lasting ten years,” Atwoli noted.
On his part, Ruto has exuded confidence that he will win a second term despite the heavy criticism facing his government.
“Until now, I'm yet to see any serious competition. Competition is between me and my track record. I haven’t seen any other competition,” he told a crowd in Uasin Gishu on Friday, January 17.
His powerful message came amidst a barrage of mobilisation following the Gen Z-led protests of June 2024, seeking his ouster. What started as opposition against the controversial Finance Bill 2024 ended up as a clarion call for Ruto’s ouster, with the theme ‘Ruto Must Go’ becoming constant in many gatherings, political or otherwise.
