On May 1st 2024, Kenya is set to join many other countries of the world in celebrating Labour Day.
In keeping with tradition, Kenya’s President, Honorable William Samoei Ruto, will grace the occasion. He will also be the Chief Guest, and therefore, will be expected to sit next to his host, COTU’s Secretary General, Francis Atwoli.
The celebrations, which necessitate a national holiday every year, will be held at Kenya’s Uhuru Gardens. It takes approximately 15 minutes to drive from the city center to the venue, which is situated along Nairobi’s Lang’ata Road.
Traditionally, the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), the umbrella body for all trade unions in the country, is the host of these celebrations.
The labour organization, now led by the firebrand Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, has been in the lead in advocating for a decent minimum wage for employees.
The organization also lobbies for better working conditions for workers, and appropriate policies to facilitate the same.
Last year, COTU’s main focus was the inclusion of people with various impairments in the main workforce. COTU sought to sensitize the government and private employers on the need to mind the rights of individuals with disabilities.
In this regard, the organization urged employers to be deliberate in identifying opportunities where people who are abled differently can provide valuable input.
The 2024 Theme for Labour Day
May 1st is recognized all over the world as the International Labour Day, and every year has a new theme. Kenyans have been commemorating this day since independence, and so, it should be natural for them to be curious about this year’s theme.
Determining the year’s Labour Day theme is the prerogative of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is the umbrella organ for all Labour organizations at international level.
Whether the 2024 theme will be on decent treatment of workers, improved health standards, or the need to minimize gender disparity, Kenyans can expect an impassioned speech from COTU’s longest-serving Secretary-General, Francis Atwoli.
COTU’s Interesting History
Atwoli has been re-elected over and over again as the secretary-general of COTU, since 2001 when he first won the seat.
He vied for the national seat as a member and secretary-general of the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU). He has held KPAWU’s secretary-general’s position since 1994.
Labour Day celebrations are taken seriously in Kenya, especially considering the country has a representative at the ILO.
Francis Atwoli is part of the ILO’s leadership, where he has been re-elected over and over again. He was first elected to join the top organ in 2008 at a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.
Geneva, the so-called “Capital of Peace”, has served as ILO’s headquarters since 1920. The city also hosts the Red Cross headquarters.
Atwoli holds an honorary doctorate degree from Kenya’s Masinde Muliro University, which he was awarded in 2018. The university, which is located at Dr. Francis Atwoli’s home county of Kakamega, specializes in science and technology.
Dr. Francis Atwoli & wife, Mary Kilobi AtwoliEuropean countries that are part of the international Labour movement include Belgium, France, Japan, the UK, and others.
Kenya first celebrated Labour Day on May 1st 1964, one year after the country attained independence from British rule. At the time, the day was commemorated as the International Workers’ Day.
What Should Make May 1st 2024 Interesting
During this year’s celebrations, workers and employers will be eager to see how the COTU leadership will relate with the government.
In recent weeks and months, the Kenya workforce has been facing turbulence, with doctors having been on strike nationally since mid-March.
Meanwhile, there has been an unsettling tussle between the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) and COTU. This disagreement, which pertains to the welfare and representation of private guards, has pitted Francis Atwoli against PSRA’s director-general, Fazul Mohamed.
However, with Labour Day being just a couple of days away, there is renewed hope that the ongoing wrangles will be sorted out, for the benefit of the Kenyan populace as a whole.
Inevitably, COTU and the government must find a solution to existing stalemates, if the country is to run normally.