Atwoli Vows to Confront Malala and Gachagua in 2027 After Khwisero By-Election Claims
COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli strongly rejected claims made by Cleophas Malala and allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua suggesting that he had been politically embarrassed in the recent Kisa East Ward by-election in Khwisero, Kakamega County.
Atwoli dismissed the statements as a deliberate strategy meant to portray him as losing political strength in his home area.
He clarified that the narrative being pushed by Malala was misleading, insisting that Khwisero Constituency has several wards and that he personally hails from Khwisero Central.
He emphasized that Khwisero Central is represented by a KANU MCA, not a DCP MCA as Malala had claimed.
He criticised Malala’s version of events, calling it an attempt to twist facts for political mileage. “For somebody to allege that he won in Khwisero, where Atwoli comes from, and in my own ward, is the stupidity of any given moment I’ve ever seen,” Atwoli remarked.
Malala had earlier argued that Kisa East, where the DCP candidate won the MCA seat, was Atwoli’s home area and that the veteran unionist would now be under the leadership of newly elected MCA Aduda Okwiri.
According to Malala, “Kisa East is in Khwisero Constituency in Kakamega County, where Mr. Francis Atwoli comes from.
In fact, Atwoli’s village home is in Kisa East, and that is where he will now be ruled by a DCP Party MCA.” These comments were made during a function on Sunday, November 30.
Atwoli countered these claims by stating that he did not take part in any MCA campaign activities and that lower-level electoral contests are usually handled by area MPs, not national-level leaders like himself.
He insisted that attempts to link him to the MCA loss were intentionally misleading and aimed at creating a false impression about his influence in Western Kenya.
“I only appeared in Malava constituency and then flew to Europe. I can campaign for anyone, but not for an MCA. I cannot reduce myself to that even if the position was vacant,” he said, making it clear that the by-election had nothing to do with him.
Atwoli went further and accused Malala of using the by-election outcome as a tool to build a narrative that the seasoned unionist was losing ground in the region.
He warned that such claims were not only unfounded but were also meant to provoke him politically. He vowed to respond decisively in the 2027 General Election.
The longtime COTU boss declared that he has both the experience and the political networks to stop his opponents from gaining traction—both in Kakamega County and at the national level. “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 firmly.
Atwoli argued that any attempt to portray him as weakening politically was premature and based on political propaganda.
He maintained that the true measure of influence will be seen during the 2027 polls, where he intends to play an active and decisive role.
Speaking for the first time since the Kisa East MCA seat went to Gachagua’s DCP candidate, Atwoli signaled that those dragging his name into the by-election narrative should expect a fierce political confrontation ahead.
He insisted that the matter was far from over and that those undermining his name would be “dealt with” politically in the coming general election.
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