This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
On October 23, Francis Atwoli, the flamboyant Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), caused a stir at Citizen TV studios during an interview on JKL.
As he took a phone call, Atwoli flung his iPhone 11 Pro Max across the studio, narrowly missing host Jeff Koinange. The phone, released by Apple on September 20, 2019, retails between Sh200,000 and Sh170,000.
During the interview, Atwoli disputed President Uhuru Kenyatta's promise to retire in 2022, citing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as a means for Kenyatta to remain in power.
Atwoli argued that the BBI would lead to a constitutional change, allowing Kenyatta to rule for another 10 years, just like Daniel Moi did in 1992.
He also claimed that Kenyatta had the backing of powerful nations, which would propel him to retain the presidency, and that Ruto's local dominance would not guarantee his presidency.
Atwoli further stated that Kenyatta would still be in power ahead of 2022 and would have control of state machinery, giving him the opportunity to make a decision depending on a prompted situation.
He also warned that in politics, everything changes abruptly, and that Ruto should proceed with caution, citing the Mashujaa Day celebration in Mombasa on October 20, where Ruto was snubbed by his coastal allies.
Atwoli also expressed his concerns about President Uhuru's first term, stating that he let things go out of hand and that he should be worried about failing to accomplish important things left behind by former President Mwai Kibaki, such as the Konza City project.
