Francis Atwoli, in his fashion, came out to defend his profile after lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi belittled it.
The attorney had on Sunday, October 15, questioned Atwoli's academic credentials after the latter came out to defend Brian Mwenda, a supposed legal quack masquerading as a High Court Advocate.
According to Ahmednasir, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general and former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko were out of order to defend someone who had defiled the integrity of the lawyers' profession.
He suggested that the duo was siding with Mwenda out of convenience, claiming that they had both left formal education at the primary level.
"Is it mere coincidence that the most vociferous and squeaky supporters of Mr. Brian Mwenda are Sonko and Dr Francis Atwoli, two Kenyans who left school at class 7?" posed Ahmednasir.
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Coming out to clean his name, Atwoli claimed Ahmednasir judged Mwenda unfairly, yet he also started his career as a legal practitioner without proper qualifications.
"Like Brian, you, allegedly committed forgery by attaining a Certificate of Completion of Pupillage without attending pupillage as required by the Advocates Act. But you’ve risen to be a top advocate," started Atwoli.
Whilst appreciating that Ahmednasir had risen the ranks to be identified among the country's top lawyers, Atwoli claimed the lawyer was corrupt and had been involved in corruption malpractices such as demanding bribes and swindling unsuspecting clients.
The COTU boss went ahead to give an instance in which he blocked the lawyer from fleecing the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) millions.
"My only concern is that you’ve become more of a swindler than an advocate. Swindling billions from clients: without reminding you where we disagreed on unjust demands of millions you had made at NSSF and of which I stopped. What is LSK doing about rogue advocates like you?" posed Atwoli.
On his academic credentials, Atwoli demonstrated how he acquired them to be recognised on the global stage.
In his bid to deflate Ahmednasir's assertion that he is uneducated, Atwoli took pride in his prowess in international relations and labour standards.
"I have undertaken extensive studies on industrial relations and international labour standards. I have credentials from the ILO College of International Labour Studies in Turin, Italy and the George Mini Labour Centre in Maryland, USA. I am tried and tested with unmatched experience on labour issues, not just in the continent but globally," Atwoli said.
