Cotu boss accuses Ruto of misleading Luhya community

Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli during a recent press conference at Tom Mboya Labor College, Kisumu. He has told Deputy President William Ruto to leave the Luhya community alone. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) secretary general Francis Atwoli has hit out Deputy President William Ruto for politically misleading the Luhya community.

Atwoli told off the DP for misleading the community that he (Ruto) can unite them politically.

Mr Atwoli said the community has its leaders who can propagate its issues and needs no one to act on their behalf.

Atwoli has said the DP continuous narrative that the Luhya community was divided was in bad faith.

"The community is not divided as some people want us to believe, if there is division, then it is among few politicians and leaders, not the community," said Atwoli.

While speaking in Ikolomani last week, Ruto hit out at Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang'ula, over the failed quest to unite the Luhya community politically.

The veteran unionist repeated his previous statement that the former Eldoret North MP will never be President come 2022.

The Cotu boss was speaking on Sunday during a fund drive at Ebukwala Seventh-day Adventist Church in Khwisero.

Atwoli lauded the announcement by Kenya’s Catholic bishops that the Catholic Church will no longer accept cash donations from politicians.

Atwoli alleged that the Roman Catholic Church before the announcement was been used for corruption dealings and accepting dirty money.

"I want anyone to challenge me on the issue of corruption at Catholic Church because I know of few priests and bishops who took the bribes," said Atwoli.

The unionist dared to name and shame some of the church’s leaders involved in receiving corrupt offerings.

He claimed it was the DP that was leading the way in giving dirty money to churches.

He further urged the Christians to copy from the Islamic religion and adopt a free corruption mentality in churches.

He later made his donation in the form of a banker's cheque.

Atwoli said the country was headed in the wrong direction with most leaders engaging in corrupt dealings and most government institution falling because of corrupt officials.

NSSF woes

He highlighted the failure at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) saying it was due to the failure of the national government to appoint substantive managers.

He said the union is vouching for the appointment on permanent terms the NSSF acting Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa because he is capable of overseeing reforms at the institution.

Atwoli was accompanied by Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba who said the failure to appoint Omerikwa was instigated by greedy politicians and government officials.

"We have to demand as members who contribute largely at NSSF that Omerikwa is given a permanent statue, he can't be acting for years after years," said Milemba.