Atwoli congratulates Wetang’ula for being elected Speaker
By Mary Ouko, September 9, 2022
Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has congratulated Moses Wetang’ula for being elected as Speaker of the National Assembly.
Speaking during a funeral service in Kakamega on Friday, September 9, Atwoli who has not been seeing eye to eye with the Ford Kenya party leader acknowledged his election stating that it was an excellent opportunity for the people of Western Kenya.
“I want to congratulate Moses Wetangula who was elected yesterday as the Speaker of the National Assembly, the third in leadership,” he stated.
He also urged the residents to accept the election’s outcome and support the new administration.
“We have accepted because Kenya is greater than all of us…Those are changes in a democratic country and we must accept them and support them in whatever they do,” he added.
Atwoli hails Ruto
At the same time, Atwoli also urged the opposition to accept the election of Kenya Kwanza Alliance leader William Ruto as Kenya’s fifth president.
While hailing Ruto as a tactful politician the COTU boss pointed out that the President-elect outwitted the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, which he supported in the run-up to the August 9 general election.
“Hata nikiambia watu wazoee sauti ya Raila sikujua nitarudi hapa niwaambie wazoee ya Ruto. Unaona mambo ya Mungu? Mnapanga yenu kumbe anapanga yake,” Atwoli said.
“Sisi tulienda kulala tukijua tumeshinda kumbe sisi tunafanya siasa bila ujuzi. William Ruto alikua na political skills na political smartness. He outsmarted us. We have to accept his win for the sake of having a peaceful nation where everyone co-exists,” he said.
Atwoli, an ardent critic of Ruto who had ruled out any possibility of the country’s deputy president clinching the presidency, also thanked Raila for accepting the verdict of the Supreme Court on the President-elect’s victory.
“I also want to take this opportunity to thank Raila; alikwenda mahakama na pia hata kama hakufurahia matokeo ya mahakama alisema amekubali uamuzi,” he added.