COTU defends Kisumu elections as Atwoli dismisses petition

In a statement dated March 18, 2026, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli said the petition filed at the Employment and Labour Relations Court challenging the elections was lodged by Fazul Mohamed, whom COTU described as not a member of any affiliate union, not a union official and not a participant in the electoral process.

COTU said the elections recorded a 92% quorum of eligible delegates, which it said is above the 51% threshold required under its constitution. 

It added that by the time of the polls, “over 90%” of paid-up affiliates entitled to vote had already conducted branch and national elections, allowing their delegates to participate.

Addressing claims touching on specific unions, COTU said KNUT and KUPPET are not paid-up affiliates and were therefore not entitled to vote, but attended as observers, with KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu giving remarks. 

The umbrella body said KMPDU, which was yet to conduct national elections, participated with three delegates as allowed under the COTU constitution, under the leadership of Secretary General Dr Davji Atella.

COTU further linked the petitioner to an alleged complaint to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over salaries and benefits it said were paid to Mohamed for using a “fake degree” to secure jobs at the NGO Board and the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA).

 The union body claimed Mohamed was positioning himself for elective politics ahead of the 2027 polls.

Atwoli said the matter is now before court, adding that COTU would not discuss it fully in public.