Central Organization for Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has issued a response after Deputy President William Ruto called him stupid during an address in London.
Speaking at his Nairobi office on Monday, March 7, the COTU Boss hit back at the DP, stating that it was better to be stupid than a thief.
Atwoli accused the deputy president of allegedly orchestrating massive looting at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and carrying a grudge after the trade movement frustrated a similar heist at theNational Social Security Fund (NSSF).
"NHIF is empty! Who emptied NHIF? It is William Samoei Ruto There is nothing, millions and millions went away. The anger that the DP harbours against me was because I stopped him from stealing from NSSF, so he calls me names in London.
"If he has nothing to say then he had better shut up! Like I have said time and again, it is better to be called stupid than to be called a thief," the Cotu boss remarked.
While addressing Kenyans in the United Kingdom, Ruto referred to the trade unionist as a stupid man for moving to court to oppose proposed reviews made by the government on contributions Kenyans make towards NSSF.
Atwoli cautioned the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential aspirants against using abusive language, noting he would not only be insulting him as an individual but the entire Luhya community.
"When he is telling the whole world that I am a stupid person, he insults the Luhya community. That shows that he does not need their vote, and if he doesn't need it, then who will make him the president?" he posed.
The DP noted that when the government attempted to change the NHIF contribution plans to have the higher-earning Kenyans pay more were stopped after Cotu moved to court.
He termed Atwoli as stupid, noting that he should have backed the reviews which would do better for the common Kenyan rather than protect the high-earning individuals.
"We proposed that people like myself pay Ksh5,000 so that other people can be graduated thereafter. So we changed but we were taken to court by a stupid man called Atwoli.
"I have no regrets referring to him as such because he is supposed to be representing the lower people, what business does he have defending individuals like me from paying the Ksh5,000," Ruto posed.
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