Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli and activist Hanifa Adan were on Wednesday involved in a heated exchange on social platform X, following a commentary Hanifa published in a local daily.
In the opinion piece, Hanifa challenged the narrative that “youths are the leaders of tomorrow,” citing the prolonged tenure of senior leaders.
She highlighted Atwoli’s over two-decade leadership at the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) as an example, and referenced the recent decision by Cotu’s board to endorse his continued stay in office.
Responding on X, Atwoli criticised Hanifa's stance and questioned her credibility.
However, Atwoli's claims were not substantiated in the post.
Atwoli also defended Cotu’s youth representation, noting that over 80 per cent of its secretariat staff are under 40.
“Cotu (K) represents all Kenyans — young and old — and youth engagement is not limited to holding the Secretary General position,” he said.
“As it stands today, the Cotu (K) secretariat is highly youthful, with over 80 per cent of our workforce under the age of 40. And as the Secretary General, I have ensured that young people have opportunities for meaningful service within Cotu (K), including creating space for youth representatives on our Executive Board."
Atwoli also claimed that Hanifa had misused the funds contributed by the public for the victims of the June 2024 protests.
However, in responding to the claims, Hanifa shared an audited report detailing the use of over Sh30 million in funds raised for victims of the June 2024 protests, which she had helped mobilise.
She dismissed Atwoli’s remarks as baseless and politically motivated.
