The renaming of a road in Nairobi after Central Organisation of Trade Union boss Francis Atwoli was done
regularly contrary to recent claims from a section of politicians especially allies of William Ruto. It was done after a notice of motion on the renaming of the road was given by Roysambu MCA Peter Warutere and supported by majority on both sides in the assembly. The renaming came about three months after Nairobi’s Accra Road was renamed Kenneth Matiba in honour of the politician who died three years ago. The Nairobi county assembly passed a motion to rename Accra Road after the former Ford Asili party leader. MCAs agreed that renaming the road would be a fitting tribute to a man who made many sacrifices for a better Kenya.
Francis Atwoli
Nairobi county government named Dick Dick Road in Kileleshwa, near Kenya High School after Atwoli. The renaming then took a political angle with allies of the deputy president hitting Atwoli under the belt due to his position on Ruto succeeding Uhuru Kenyatta. During contributions in the assembly by MCAs, Atwoli was recognised of his role during the 2017 standoff between Nasa principals and Jubilee supporters after the Supreme Court had nullified the presidential elections. During the repeat elections Nasa led by Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula and Kalonzo Musyoka boycotted.
kenneth Matiba
Thereafter, Raila was sworn in as the people’s president leading to political stalemate. Atwoli was to put pressure on Uhuru and Raila to agree as many were fearing the country would burn. The pressure led to the handshake. According to impeccable sources, Atwoli stepped on some toes in Jubilee who did not want Raila to get in the mainstream of government and became a sworn Ruto enemy having dismissed his State House bid. During that period some African leaders especially from the great lakes region wanted the country to go to the dogs so as to benefit since investors, fearing the political turmoil the way it happened in 2007, were contemplating to move their investments to neighbouring countries. Among them, it is reported, was Tanzania president the late John Pombe Magufuli.
Yusuf Haji
Atwoli’s fear was, if investors migrated, workers were to be jobless as it was argued by one MCA during the debate of renaming the street in Atwoli name. Apart from Atwoli, Western diplomats in Nairobi engaged in shuttle diplomacy secretly as Cotu boss put pressure on the two in public.The Nairobi county assembly also recognised the role the trade unionist play with his shadow diplomacy by engaging workers and employees to avert unrest and strikes. Atwoli recently threatened to withdraw union members from the controversial National Hospital Insurance Fund (Amendment) Bill 2021 that is still before the national assembly and is yet to be debated on and proposes to make it mandatory for every Kenyan above 18 years to pay an annual contribution of Sh6000 the NHIF pass. Another road in Nairobi Eastleigh area was recently named after the late senator Yusuf Haji.
