FRANCIS ATWOLI
| DATE OF BIRTH | 6 June 1949 |
| GENDER | Male |
| FAMILY | Mary Atwoli Kilobi |
| OCCUPATION | Trade Unionist |
BIOGRAPHY
Francis Atwoli is a renown Kenyan politician and unionist who is currently the secretary general of the Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU-K), a position he has held since 2001.
Educational Background
Francis Atwoli completed his secondary school education at St. Mary’s School in Nairobi. Afterward, he received a labor scholarship to study at the College of International Labor Studies in Turin, Italy.
Family Life
Atwoli was born on June 6, 1949, in Kakamega County, western Kenya. He has three wives and has sired 17 children.
Achievements and Awards
He is a recipient of the Elder of both the Burning Spear (EBS) and the Moran of the Burning Spear, (MBS) awards in recognition of his role in championing for social justice.
Additionally, he has an honorary in Doctor of Humane Letters (Labour Relations) from Masinde Muliro of University of Science and Technology (MMUST).
Atwoli is the General Secretary of the Kenya Plantation & Agricultural Workers Union and the President of the Pan African Labour movement, the Organization of African Trade Union Unity, OATUU.
Also, Francis Atwoli also adds up as a member of the National Labour Board of Kenya and Council Member of National Industrial Training Authority of Kenya (NITA).
Career and Political Life of Atwoli
Some of the key positions that Atwoli hold include General Secretary of the Kenya Plantation & Agricultural Workers Union, Chairman of the East Africa Trade Union Confederation (EATUC) based in Arusha, Tanzania since 2005, Executive Board Member and now serving Vice President of the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, based in Brussels, Belgium since 2005 to date.
Furthermore, Brother Atwoli as he is fondly known, is the President of Trade Union Federation Eastern Africa (TUFEA) based in Khartoum, Sudan from 2005, Deputy President of the Organization of Africa Trade Union Unity (OATUU) based in Accra, Ghana (from2005), Member of the National Labour Board of Kenya since 2004 among others.
Moreover, he pushed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) agenda and initiated the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
In the run-up to the 2022 elections, Atwoli opposed William Ruto‘s candidature before changing tune when Ruto became president.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates:
