Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Kenya is witnessing a wave of change. Long accustomed to preserving the status quo, many have found themselves face-to-face with a new generation of youth who are disenfranchised, unemployed, or underemployed, despite being highly educated. It is undeniable that the events of June last year have left a significant mark across every sector. What was initially dismissed as a mere issue of “disgruntled youth” has steadily evolved into a national concern. Today, every Kenyan of working age, whether they are a high-paid professional, a “hustler”, a street vendor, a bodaboda rider, a police officer, or a secretary in a corporate office, can relate to the pervasive sense of hopelessness that the current leadership has instilled across the nation. The role of workers in the resistance Workers are crucial as they represent the backbone of society. Whether employed or unemployed, they encompass the majority of Kenya’s adult population. What if these workers, united by their shared struggles, decided to come together? The government would undoubtedly find itself under intense pressure. And this is precisely where the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) should step in, mobilizing and representing workers’ collective interests. Trade Unions as agents of liberation Around the world, trade unions have played transformative political and social roles by representing workers’ interests and actively shaping policy. In Poland, the Solidarity movement led by Lech Wałęsa was instrumental in toppling communist rule and establishing democratic governance. In Argentina, the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) has influenced social welfare policies and labor laws through its alignment with Peronist politics. In Sweden, unions like IF Metall have ensured nearly universal collective bargaining coverage and negotiated directly with global corporations to protect worker rights. Belgian unions actively participate in national policy discussions on public finance and education, reflecting their deep integration into governance. In the UK, unions historically aligned with the Labour Party have shaped labor-friendly legislation, though new parties like Reform UK are now courting working-class support. These examples show that trade unions, when independent and member-driven, can hold substantial power in ensuring fair labor practices and shaping national agendas. Perhaps this is why the notion of a single representative for all workers is so essential. But the question remains: Has the current representative, Francis Atwoli, truly served the workers as expected? As the Secretary General of COTU for over two decades, Atwoli has been at the helm of labor leadership in Kenya, but lately his tenure has been marred by controversy. A true representative should speak for the collective voice of the working class, but how can one truly represent workers when they lead a life far removed from the realities of those they claim to serve? How can a representative be credible when they travel in a luxury vehicle, such as a rainbow-colored Mercedes-Benz, which 98% of the workers they represent may never even see, let alone drive? How can one be considered a true worker’s representative when they have been quoted as calling other workers “poor”, further distancing themselves from the very people they are meant to champion? Does trade unionism, under a single umbrella body, still have a place in today’s Kenya? History of Trade Unions in Kenya Since Independence Pre-Independence Foundations (1930s–1963) The roots of Kenya’s trade unionism trace back to the 1930s, during British colonial rule. Early pioneers such as Makhan Singh, Fred Kubai, and Bildad Kaggia established some of the first trade unions, including the Indian Trade Union (later the Labour Trade Union of Kenya), the Transport and Allied Workers Union (TAWU), and the Clerks and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU). These unions were instrumental in advocating for work