By JEFF OTIENO.
MY DEPUTY A BETRAYER SAYS COTU BOSS.
Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli has dismissed his immediate former Deputy George Muchai as a worst betrayer he has ever met in the trade union circles.
He also took on the registrar of trade unions Elizabeth Gicheha for turning down the executive board resolve to suspend the besieged deputy.
“Gichehas move is a clear confirmation of our initial fears that he has been a spy and a project of outsiders out to divide cotu”,Atwoli said.
Any serious government should embrace trade union movement for faster economic growth Atwoli said.
He praised President Uhuru Kenyattas Government for good working ties with trade unions but castigated a few clique of his cronies for sabotaging his efforts by condoning corruption and creating confusion in the unions to make a kill.
Atwoli was speaking in Tom Mboya Labour College Kisumu during a workshop dubbed Trade Union unity and principles of freedom of association in Eastern Africa -Sub regional in collaboration with I T U C and O A T U U. It was a follow up meeting after a major one which was held in Nairobi early in the year.Vice President of O A T U U Alex Bony from Ghana ,Wellington Chibebwe from Zimbabwe and Kweshi Amakwah were in attendance.
Muchai was replaced by Ben Okwaro and another second board meeting is slated on monday 27th to further ratify the same.
The registrar had argued that muchai wasnt served or given time by the board to defend himself as required which is repugnant to justice,
the board has however maintained he was served.A powerful clique within Jubilee is said to be behind Muchai and it will be interesting to see who will blink first between the once best friends turn foes.During the last polls The entire Cotu brigade rallied behind Muchai and ensured he captured Kabete parliamentary seat.
He was suspended by 28 out of 29 board members and one wonders why he couldnt use his financial muscle to divide the board deep in the middle.
His sudden wealth and mean ness seems to have played a part in his ouster and isolation.
Three executive board members confided to this writer that the now rags to riches unionists is building multi million apartments and a state of the art mall around Jkia Airport a move which seems to have made them to be jittery and suspicious with him.
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