A decision by the Nairobi County government to name a city road after COTU boss Francis Atwoli has not augured well with a section of Kenyans on Twitter.
On Thursday, Nairobi Deputy Governor Ann Kananu officially unveiled the Francis Atwoli Road in Kileleshwa, near Kenya High School.
Celebrating the achievement, Atwoli noted that it was a recognition for his long service to Kenyan workers.
"I want to thank the leadership of Nairobi County, under @annkananu_ , for this great honour and recognition of services to the Government of the day, the community and Worker's at large," Atwoli said.
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The unveiling of Atwoli road elicited massive reactions with blogger Robert Alai and Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdulahi arguing that the COTU boss did not deserve the honor bestowed to him.
According to Alai, naming a road after Atwoli is an insult to Kenyans workers. “A Francis Atwoli Road is an insult to Kenyan worker. Huge insult,” Alai tweeted.
Responding to the blogger, Atwoli said: “I know you better than you actually know yourself, and I won't give in to what you want. In fact, I will see you go down but never will you see me go down. And by the way, what have you done in this life other than gaining followers on twitter and surviving on extortionism?”
In his response, Alai fired back at the COTU boss stating that: “…Man, you are almost 80 years old now. Act your age. Your kids and grandkids need better inspiration than these senile rants. You are already down if you don’t even realise this. Tisha others not me.”
In a separate thread, Ahmednasir also fired shots at Atwoli noting that it was a “total disgrace” to name the road after him.
“Total disgrace to name a street in Nairobi after @AtwoliDza. What are we telling poor workers he abandoned for the sake of my beloved jubilee? He is a billionaire in a country where labour is enslaved by capital owners. He dines/wines with the rich/powerful and is disdainful of poor,” Ahmednassir tweeted.
Responding to the Senior Counsel, Atwoli said: “My record speaks for itself. Unlike you, I am a very honest man, I work hard, I never engage in corrupt dealings, I speak my mind and I am not a billionaire (like you). My influence is out of the growth of the labour movement in Kenya. Kenyans with jobs are protected.”
Atwoli’s response did not sit well with Ahmednasir who noted that the next government that comes to power after 2022 elections should consider removing Atwoli from power.
“The removal from office and prosecution for unexplained wealth and assets of Mr. Francis Atwoli must be a top priority for any government that comes to power in august 2022. This is not negotiable!” Ahmednasir tweeted.
