Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli shocked the national political scene when he announced in 2016 that he had engaged a consultant to determine who was the most popular Luhya leader.
Known for its political fragmentation, the Luhya nation has never had a strong political, religious or even cultural leader who can offer guidance on weighty national issues.
This vacuum has been exploited by all strong leaders, who have walked into the region and left carrying bags of votes, to the detriment of the community’s interests.
It is on this basis that Mr Atwoli engaged Prof Fred Jonyo of the Department of Political Science at the University of Nairobi to conduct a survey to determine who among the Luhya political elite was the most popular and could become the spokesman of the community.
The enterprise, which established that ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi was the most popular leader among the Luhya, followed by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula in third place, cost Mr Atwoli a whopping Sh200 million, in his own words.
Five years later, the Cotu boss is back in the eye of a public storm. He has organised another rally at the Bukhungu stadium, ostensibly to strip Mr Mudavadi of the mantle while at the same time offering the community an opportunity to determine who to support in the 2022 presidential election.
Mr Mudavadi is livid. Mr Wetang’ula has dismissed the whole idea of the Friday meeting, which he insists lacks legitimacy because Mr Atwoli is not an elected leader.
Within the circles of the two leaders, Mr Atwoli is considered a moneyed bully with the audacity to flaunt his wealth in unhelpful ventures that do little to improve the welfare of workers – the key constituency he represents.
“I am an adviser and an elder,” Mr Atwoli shot back yesterday after inspecting the Bukhungu stadium.
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“The attacks by the two leaders is a case of sour grapes. Five years ago, I anointed Mr Mudavadi. At that time, he accepted but he has turned against me because he has discovered that I am not supporting him.”
A confirmed polygamist and the father of more than 30 children, Mr Atwoli has been in politics since 1964 and is known for his abrasive and combative style.
He joined Kanu when the Kenya African Democratic Union (Kadu) dissolved in efforts by the founding fathers to unite the country after independence.
He was mentored into politics by the late Martin Shikuku and to this day basks in the glory of having witnessed the launch of Kadu in 1960 “with a lot of interest” even though he was too young to participate.
He joined Shikuku, Daniel arap Moi and Ronald Ngala in crossing over to Kanu, and he remains a Kanu life member.
But his break into public life came when he was elected the shop steward of the Kenya Postal Workers Union on September 3, 1967, kick-starting a career in trade unionism that culminated in his election as Cotu secretary-general in 2001.
After the return of multiparty politics, Mr Atwoli took on his mentor Shikuku for the 1992 Butere parliamentary seat but lost. He tried again in 1997 after Khwisero constituency was hived off from the larger Butere, but pulled out, preferring to concentrate on his chosen career of fighting for workers’ rights.
Besides Cotu, Mr Atwoli is a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body, a position he was re-elected to for the fourth time last June.
He is also the chairman of the Global Worker’s Awareness Fund, based in Sydney, Australia, whose mandate is to promote social justice and internationally recognised human and labour rights.
“My many international roles cannot allow me to hold public offices in Kenya,” he says.
Journalist David Ochami, who has written extensively about the politics of the region, dismissed those advancing the argument that Mr Atwoli is a moneyed bully, saying no man should be faulted for his charisma.
“Mr Atwoli doesn’t need to be elected to offer the community leadership. Great leaders seize historic moments and provide leadership,” he said, adding that the trade unionist has only filled a leadership vacuum that exists in the Luhya community.
“He was a politician before Cotu, and you can hate him for pulling crowds. He has earned his role in the Luhya community and people grudgingly accepted him because of his fearlessness.”
University of Nairobi lecturer Herman Manyora likened Mr Atwoli to the late Moses Mudavadi, both of whom succeeded in transcending artificial intra-ethnic boundaries during their time.
“When you see Mr Atwoli, you don’t see him as somebody from Kakamega. You can’t pigeonhole him into his subtribe. You see him as a Luhya. He is where the senior Mudavadi was at the sunset of his politics, only that it took the community long to realise his potential,” he said.
Mr Atwoli is also among the wealthiest people in Kenya and possibly the richest Luhya alive. He has never shied away from speaking about his fortune and the fact that he bankrolls the entire Luhya political leadership.
“Leadership goes with resources and generosity. Mr Atwoli is wealthy and not selfish,” Mr Manyora said, noting that DP William Ruto has created a loyal support base because of his generosity.
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