Atwoli Fires Back After Kisa East By-Elections, Promises Political Battle With Malala and Gachagua in 2027
In both cases, Atwoli gave a stern warning that he had the networks and political muscle to stop their ambitions both in Kakamega and nationally.
COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli .Photo/Courtesy.
By Ruth Sang
COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli curtly dismissed claims by Cleophas Malala and allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that the result of the Kisa East Ward by-election demonstrated a political setback for him at home. Reacting to the claims, Atwoli accused his critics of peddling deliberate misinformation intended to portray him as losing influence in Kakamega politics.
According to Atwoli, the narrative of his loss in his backyard is not only factually wrong but a calculated political move. He clarified that Khwisero Constituency comprises a number of wards, and that he is a resident of Khwisero Central, not Kisa East, countering Malala’s insistence that the COTU boss belongs to the ward where the Democratic Congress Party candidate Aduda Okwiri emerged victorious.
“For somebody to declare victory in Khwisero and insinuate that it is my own ward, that is the height of ignorance I have ever seen,” said Atwoli, adding that the claims were unfounded and meant to provoke him.
Malala had earlier stated that Atwoli’s village home falls in Kisa East, adding that the unionist shall henceforth fall under the representation of the newly elected DCP MCA. His remarks were widely interpreted as an attempt to depict Atwoli as losing political grounds in Western Kenya.
Atwoli insisted that he did not participate in campaigning for any MCA aspirant, noting that such races fall under the mandate of local MPs. He said dragging his name into ward-level politics was misleading, part of a broader strategy by his rivals aiming to shape a false political narrative.
“I appeared in Malava and left for Europe afterward. I can campaign for anyone, but I will not engage in MCA campaigns. Even if the position is vacant, I cannot bring myself down to that level,” he said.
He further accused Malala of using the by-election results to create an illusion of weakened influence in the Western region. Atwoli warned that such assumptions were transient, promising that the real political game would be witnessed in 2027, where he plans to take an active and decisive role.
In both cases, Atwoli gave a stern warning that he had the networks and political muscle to stop their ambitions both in Kakamega and nationally. “I have the capacity to stop Malala from becoming anything in Kakamega. I have the capacity to stop Gachagua from becoming anything in Kenya. Wait for 2027— I will stop them,” he said.
He said such insinuations that his influence are waning are pre-emptive, and that the 2027 General Election will be the real battlefield. Atwoli warned those celebrating and using the Kisa East by-election results to write his political obituary to get ready for a bruising battle ahead. This was Atwoli’s first public reaction since the DCP clinched the hotly contested Kisa East MCA seat, a race which has since sparked political tension across the Western region.
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