Special Investigative Report by Leo Odera Omolo.
TOP UNION OFFICIALS IN Kenya have scathingly lashed out at a scribe who was recently involved in posting clandestine, concocted and subversive article to the websites ad social media sites which meant deliberately aimed at to tarnishing and discrediting the name of the hard working COTU {K} Secretary-General Francis Atwoli.
The anonymous author of the article which was posted to the African Press International {AIP} which is published in Oslo, Norway by a Kenyan journalist.
The author alleged that Mr Atwoli had taken street urchins and bogus journalists with him to Geneva during the annual convention meeting of the International Labor Organization purporting them to be genuine journalists fro Kenya, and his action had disappointed the authorities in Switzerland.
I further alleged that the bogus journalist were never sanction by the Kenya Union of Journalist {KUJ} the main umbrella of journalists in Kenya Our investigations has revealed that KUJ is an affiliate of COTU {K}.
The author of the maliciously damaging article had cowardly hidden his or her true identity while masquerading as the KUJ spokesman exposing his or her ill-motive towards Mr. Atwoli a highly respected unionist who has since taking over the mantle of COTU {K} has turned around the workers welfare.
Atwoli has contributed a lot the workers welfare making COTU {K} to be one of the most vibrant labor movements in Africa. This is who he is now wearing several hats in the labor movement not only I African continent, and beyond but also in the international labor movement. All the achievement and gains made in Kenya’s labor movement is as the result of Mr Atwoli’s untainted reputation, nearly all top unionist from all over Africa had travelled and conserved in Kisumu to witness the occasion during which Atwoli and his ea of lineup were returned to the9r offices unanimously and unanimously re-elected unopposed, signifying how the COTU [K} boss enjoyed the confidence of workers in Kenya and beyond.
In fact the annual gathering convened by COTU was a true Pan-Africanist Trade Union’s Convention in he true sense of the word, because all members of the Organization African
Judging from the crude language and poor English with which the article is written, its presentation and style is telling a lot about the academic background and professional ethics of the author.
One might be credibly tempted to suspect that the author is working in cohort of some disgruntled elements from within COTU hierarchy. If not so then he is a yellow scribe of the fifth column, who is envious about the few journalist whom ere lucky enough to have been picked by Atwoli and sponsored for the Geneva trip.
Alternatively this article could be attributed to be the work of one uncouth scribe within Kisumu who is well known for thriving on extortion. The semi-illiterate scribe his had to brush shoulder with the forces of law reinforcement for his lust for free money which has on occasions has landed him in courts for varied offences ranging from extortion, demanding money with menaces, attempted. The scribe’s excessive lust for fee money has put him in a very awkward position and at odd among his professional colleagues.
The suspect journalist is a frequent visitor to Kisumu Airport, especially during weekends where he always laying ambush to politicians returning home for the weekends. He is also the most regular at the departure lounge on Sundays sweet-talking to politicians, particularly moneyed MPs from Western Kenya trying to lay his hands on the residues left in their pockets after tiresome weekend activities in their respective rural constituencies.
Maybe Francis Atwoli the generous top trade has put in place some kind of economic embargo and no longer parting with handouts money, thus inviting the wrath of his former friend turned enemy. Who knows? However, leading players in labor movement in Kenya interviewed roundly condemned the author of this article describing him as some one ho has perfected in the arts of telling pack of lies.
It a case of misrepresentation, miscalculation and underestimation of the intelligence of the Kenya workers. It also calls for the thorough medical examination of the mental state of the author of this article. It could be the work of someone who is mentally deranged a needed treatment.
One politician who has seen the article described as the work of an insane writer who can simply wake up and imagine hoe to write silly and dirty thins bout M Atwoli a man who dedication to the cause of work and is clean record of selfishlessness serving in the labor movement in this country speaks for itself.
One union leader who request that his identity be hidden was bold enough by saying tat M Atwoli is held I the highest esteem by Kenyan workers in particular an the public in general and could even win the presidency of the Republic of Kenya if so wish or when he choose to stand and contest for the presidency, no body will stand on his way.
All the accusations and allegation contained therein in this articles are nothing, but the work f devilish and cocked minded.
Mr Atwoli is a happily married man with grownup children. The COTU boss has a well kept family and or anyone to portray him as someone who is sex-maniac and a playboy is out of bound.
What this article should be intended to achieve has flopped. Shown a copy of the article downloaded from a computer, one of the Kisumu based journalist who had travelled with Atwoli to Geneva last year jumped to he roof,
Jeff Otieno Aguko one of the scrbes who had traveled with Arwoli in Geneva with was full of praise of the COTU boss. He said to the Geneva was one of the most pleasant time he had ever enjoyed in his life time.He could no figure it out as to what prompted he author to write such rubbish o Mr Atwoli
“What this coward writer has written is full of phantom and fiction. The author appeared to be having fertile imagination and only deserves to be a fiction writer. He should direct his fertile imagination of fiction elsewhere, but leave Mr Atwoli alone.,” said Mr Aguko.
Ends
Ps More to follow