A petition has been filed in court challenging Francis Atwoli's re-election for a sixth term as secretary-general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU). Petitioners claim the election violated the prescribed union cycle and was flawed. Atwoli was elected unopposed on March 14 at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu.
A petition has been submitted to court by Fazul Mahamed and the Institute for Democratic Governance, challenging Francis Atwoli's unopposed re-election on March 14, 2026, at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu. The election involved at least 250 delegates from 47 affiliated workers' unions. Petitioners allege the poll was conducted prematurely, in violation of the legally prescribed union election cycle, flawed, and excluded some labour unions. They seek to have the results declared null and void, prevent gazetting by the Registrar of Trade Unions, and bar elected officials from assuming office. Atwoli has led COTU-K since 2001, growing membership from about 300,000 to over four million workers, with 45 affiliated unions representing interests in bodies like NSSF, SHA, and NITA. A month earlier, on January 17, he was re-elected unopposed as general secretary of the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) for another five-year term. His leadership has faced recent criticism calling for change within COTU-K.
