Mahamed challenges Atwoli's sixth term in court

Francis Atwoli's unopposed sixth-term win at COTU-K is already tangled up in a court challenge over skipped electoral rules.

Lawsuit targets COTU-K's March 14 election

• Fazul Mahamed filed suit in the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
• He argues the Kisumu delegates' conference broke the law.
• Democratic trade-union principles allegedly got tossed aside.

Election timeline allegedly jumped the gun

• A 2025 registrar circular set a strict electoral sequence.
• Affiliate unions had until June 2026 for national polls.
• COTU-K's final election deadline was August 30, 2026.
• Mahamed says they rushed it before affiliates even voted.

Alleged procedural failures pile up

• Membership registers reportedly never got updated.
• No independent electoral board oversaw the process.
• A voters' register was never produced either.
• Public notices for vacancies and nominations were absent.

Court orders and next steps

• Mahamed wants Atwoli blocked from taking office for now.
• He also seeks to stop the official registration of winners.
• Justice Jacob Gakeri gave COTU-K four days to respond.
• The case reconvenes on March 24, 2026.