Cotu bid to grill suspended deputy boss hits brick wall

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions' (Cotu) mission to grill besieged deputy Secretary General George Muchai failed to take place Monday after he failed to show up to answer to accusations levelled against him.

Cotu national officials waited for Mr Muchai from 10am till noon.

National Chairman Rajabu Mwondi claimed Cotu wrote a letter on October 24 to Muchai, requesting him to appear before the officials and they could not understand why he failed to turn up.

Mr Mwondi said they had opted to begin proceedings to suspend Muchai afresh since the registrar of trade unions had nullified an earlier process of kicking him out.

"Cotu wrote to its suspended deputy boss inviting him to appear before the organisation's appointed office bearers to answer to a series of accusations levelled against him, with a view to exonerating himself," said Mwondi.

Mwondi claimed the letter was served on Muchai by an authorised court process server on the same day and a copy sent to the registrar of trade unions.

The move to invite Muchai to appear before the officials was informed by the decision of the registrar of trade unions to annul an earlier decision by the Cotu executive board to suspend the embattled deputy secretary general.

 Atwoli's retirement

However, Muchai claimed he had not received any letter inviting him to appear before Cotu officials.

Instead, he accused Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli of locking his office and preventing him from entering Solidarity building.

"I was away the whole of last week and just arrived in my office today (Monday). I am fed up with the lies being peddled by Atwoli and someone should tell him this is a mission impossible," said Muchai.

Cotu has listed eight accusations levelled against Muchai which include giving false information to CID with the intention of incriminating Atwoli and using abusive language towards the Office of the Secretary General, among others.

But Muchai denied the allegations and declined to comment since the matter is still in court. The union has now referred the matter to its executive board that meets in a fortnight to endorse the resolution of the national officials according to its constitution.

Monday, Atwoli said in a statement he was seeking the consent of colleagues at Cotu headquarters "to allow me retire as the secretary general upon the completion of my current term in 2016".