Francis Atwoli has received a major boost after the Employment and Labour Relations Court struck out a petition challenging his re-election as the Secretary-General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU-K).
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, August 20, 2026, by Justice Jemimah Keli. The court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to determine the petition filed by Fazul Mahamed and the Institute for Democratic Governance.
The petitioners had challenged the election held on March 14, 2026, where Atwoli was re-elected unopposed for another term as COTU-K Secretary-General.
They had argued that the election was conducted before some affiliated trade unions had completed their own elections. According to their argument, the elections should follow a specific order, beginning with branch elections, followed by national elections and finally the COTU leadership elections.
However, the court declined to hear the petition, giving Atwoli a major legal victory.
The latest ruling comes after another legal battle over the same COTU elections. In June, the High Court declined to hear a separate petition seeking to challenge the elections. The court said disputes involving trade union elections should be handled by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
Atwoli was re-elected during COTU's 15th Quinquennial Governing Council Delegates Conference held at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu.
He has served as COTU Secretary-General since 2001 and has remained one of the most influential figures in Kenya's labour movement.
His latest re-election marks the beginning of his sixth term as the head of the umbrella organisation representing workers in Kenya.
The court's decision means the challenge against his latest election has been struck out, giving Atwoli more room to continue with his leadership of COTU.
The ruling is also likely to draw attention because of Atwoli's long stay at the helm of the workers' organisation and the continued legal questions surrounding the 2026 COTU elections.