COTU leader Francis Atwoli has heaped praise on President William Ruto for his ‘noble’ task of uniting the Country. Speaking during COTU Shop Steward Meeting, Atwoli thanked the President for taking Raila’s AU issue as personal to him.
Atwoli went ahead and asserted that he has never seen a President who has unified the country by suppressing the opposition without a clear cut of understanding between the opposition and the government.
He revisited how President Jomo Kenyatta curtailed the opposition by making sure that opposition leader Jaramogi’s head is not raised from the ground. He further highlighted how Moi did not entertain opposition until when Section 2A of the Constitution was repealed.
Atwoli further stated that during Kibaki’s time, it took UN’s negotiation to broker a deal between the opposition and government. He added that in Uhuru’s time, the handshake had to be brokered to unite the opposition and the ruling party.
However, Atwoli said that Ruto has been able to unite the country without any prior agreement between government and opposition as it was in the previous regime’s.
“I have never seen it in my life. I have been here while I was still small during Uhuru’s father Mzee Kenyatta when he took this country, he made sure that Jaramogi did not raise his head from the ground. I have been here during Moi’s time and he did not entertain opposition until the amendment of Section 2A of the constitution, and it was not easy, that is when he started consulting with the opposition.” Said Francis Atwoli.
“I have been here during Kibaki’s time and it was a negotiation by Kofi Anan’s United Nations who helped us. I was present during Uhuru’s time and it was the handshake. But now, there is no any clear cut on the current understanding but then the government says that it doesn’t want to hear that, if my fellow kenyan wants a job, let me help.” He stated.
He further praised Ruto for uniting a country and making sure that the country is at peace and with people with foresight thinking.
“He is doing a noble job of making sure that he comes from a state that is unified, focus, and has people with foresight thinking irrespective of their political differences.” Atwoli remarked.