The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), an umbrella body for trade unions in the country, is set for an election on Saturday with long-serving Secretary General Francis Atwoli, who took over at the helm of the union in 2001, seeking a sixth five-year term in office.
As it appears, the election at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, will be Mr Atwoli’s coronation as he seeks to set the record as the longest serving COTU top gun, as by press time, no one had offered to oppose him.
In the last two months, the more than 52 trade unions in the country have been conducting branch elections in line with a legal provision in the Labour Laws that office bearers seek fresh mandate from members every five years.
The COTU election is being held four months ahead of the set deadline by the Ministry of Labour through a circular on September 25, 2025.
Ms Ann Kanake, the acting Registrar of Trade Unions in the circular directed the trade unions to hold grassroots and national elections in compliance with the law.
The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) secretary general Francis Atwoli.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
The branch election started on January 1, and will close on March 30 – depending on the individual union calendar - to pave the way for the second phase of the poll - national elections between April and June 30, 2026.
But almost all the unions have completed their grassroots and branch elections and have either concluded their national poll or are in the process of holding it.
The two umbrella trade unions - Trade Union Congress (TUC) and COTU had been given until August 30, 2026 to hold their election in fulfilment of their respective constitutional provisions and in compliance with the law.
Mr Atwoli is poised to defend the COTU Secretary General position for the sixth consecutive term, which if he wins, will see him break a record as longest holder of the highly coveted seat in the trade union movement.
Mr Atwoli said all the arrangements for the election had been concluded and delegates would on Friday be reporting to Kisumu. COTU has almost five million members from the public and private sector drawn from the affiliate unions.
The affiliate trade unions have, depending on their strengths, been given between three and 20 slots for delegates in the election. Those that have not concluded their national election will be represented by their chairman, Secretary General and Treasurer.
“Candidates interested with the various positions have sent their names and the 500 delegates will on Saturday subject it to a discussion and a vote where necessary,” Mr Atwoli told the Nation in an interview on Friday from Kisumu.
Mr Atwoli said: “The COTU elections will be free, fair and democratic in what is replicated in other respected, internationally affiliated organizations. We embrace the strong tenets of democracy with delegates wielding absolute freedom and power to pick leaders of their choice to steer the affairs of the union.”
Mr Atwoli took over from the late Joseph Joy Mugalla in 2001 and has set a record as the longest serving office holder.
He has set the same record in the parent Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) where he was recently re-elected for the seventh consecutive term.
Central Organization of Trade Unions Kenya (Cotu-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation
On January 6, Mr Atwoli hosted officials from 42 affiliate organizations as part of the preparations for the election where he announced that he had a backing from the outfits for another term in office, in the poll set for August.
Last year, Mr Atwoli was re-elected to serve for the fifth term as a Titular Member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing body, which also makes him the longest serving member.
The question over the age of the office holders continues to hang on the necks of most of the top union officials, majority of whom are believed to be defending their positions for the last term before paving the way for another generation of leaders.
At 76 years, Mr Atwoli is leading some of the oldest unionists in the country in COTU with the national chairman Reverend Joel Chebii also falling under the bracket of the elderly office holders.
“The issue of age does not arise in the trade union movement as it is taken as a calling. The practice the world over is that it is not pegged on the retirement age of public servants and it has no term limit,” Mr Atwoli told the Nation in the interview.
He said “In India, the top union official is over 90 years and in Nigeria, he is over 80 years. The issue of age is neither here nor there as we need people with experience at the top who are able to give guidance and are respected locally and internationally”
“I have been able to focus on trade union business and fight for the rights of workers in Kenya, Africa and the world as I do not have divided attention. I did not go into parliamentary politics like some of my predecessors and those in some unions” Mr Atwoli said.
He said: “When I took over as KPAWU Secretary General, we had 20,000 members, and we raised it to 650,000. In COTU, we now have over 4 million members.” Mr Atwoli said.
Majority of the union leaders have ring fenced their positions by making it almost impossible for the branch officials and delegates to seek national office in the election, by previously having passed a law that demands that the candidates first resign their positions before seeking election to a higher office.
In both Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), the respective constitutions were amended to demand that a branch official who wants to run for a national position resign his current post 30 days before the election is held.
The requirement which has generated a lot of debate appeared to ring fence the national positions to those currently in office as it does not give a fall back to would be opponents holding junior (branch) offices.
Some of the unions will hold their national elections in April even as the COTU poll is held at the weekend.
Central Organization of Trade Unions (Cotu-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli at a past event.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
In Knut, Mr Oyuu is expected to get competition from former Secretary General and former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nominated MP Wilson Sossion who has written to the union seeking to be told the date that has been picked for the national election and the venue.
“Our constitution is clear on who the members and delegates are and the set requirements for those seeking national office. It is a straitjacket thing and we cannot bend the rules” Mr Oyuu said.
Mr Akello Misori, the Kuppet, is also set to face off with former Bomet Central Member of Parliament Ronald Tonui, who was unceremoniously removed as the assistant national treasurer.
In Kuppet, both Mr Misori and the national Treasurer Mwethi Njenga are among those who have overshot the retirement age and are expected to hold office for a short period if re-elected in the yet to be announced national election.
“The branch elections that have been held countrywide demonstrate clearly that we believe in a free, fair and transparent process that is required by local and international standards. Our members are free to pick leaders of their choice,” Mr Misori said.
