Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli maintains that he will not step down from his position despite critics wanting him to retire.
Speaking during the Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens on Wednesday, Atwoli said that his impact on the organization could be felt.
He stated that despite his advanced age, his expertise had contributed to improving Kenyan workers' rights.
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"We are busy with employers in board rooms negotiating for good terms and conditions of service of our members," he said.
"In my own union this year I signed more than 44 CBAs to cushion workers from the cost of living and some say ati Awoli amekaa tu pale ni mzee (Alwoli has stayed there for long). Ni mzee wa ujuzi, mzee wa kisasa."
This comes amid a disagreement between the COTU's president and the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) Director-General Fazul Mohamed over the payment of monthly deductions from all private security businesses to the union.
Mohamed said that COTU had failed to fulfil its responsibility to represent the interests of its members and had continued to disdain, decline, and neglect to campaign for their rights.
In his reaction, Atwoli "condemned" the instruction as ill-advised and sad, even calling for Mohamed's resignation over allegations that he forged his academic qualifications to obtain government jobs.
