Atwoli elected ILO vice president

By Lonah Kibet

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli has been elected vice president of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Mr Atwoli was elected  to the position by more than 1,500 delegates representing 184 member states of ILO attending the conference at Geneva, Switzerland.

He is the first African leader to be elected to the prestigious position in the organisation. The Cotu boss had served in the position of a committee member of ILO Governing Council for two terms.

The 101st session of  ILO witnessed the swearing in of Atwoli to become the third person to represent Africa in one of the highest positions in the organisation. 

The late Vice President Kijana Wamalwa and the former Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko served as ILO presidents and since then no other Kenyan or African has held such a high position in the organisation.

Atwoli is leading a 16-member regional delegation of labour leaders including the Executive General of East African Trade Union Confederation, Emmanuel Nzunda, to the conference that began on Wednesday and ends on June 15.