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Atwoli wants social media controls to tame Gen Z protests
Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli speaks during thanksgiving prayer day service at St Stephen ACK Church in Nairobi on April 27, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Mr Atwoli said there is need for the country to consider regulating some of the information which the youth are consuming.
- He also asked the elected leaders to avoid politics of division and to instead help the country to stabilize its economy.
The Secretary General of Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), Francis Atwoli, has criticised young people expressing their anger on social media and asked them to change their attitude towards leaders.
Speaking at ACK St Stephen's Church in Makadara, Nairobi during the 60th annual Cotu Labour Day prayer service on Sunday, Mr Atwoli said social media could burn the country if not regulated.
“This thing called social media is controlled in China. China has regulated TikTok despite being their product, not like here in Kenya. The church must speak about TikTok, the church must speak about social media, about YouTube. The church must take the lead,” Mr Atwoli said.
“The content of social media is not conducive to a nation that aspires to greater heights economically, socially and politically,” he said.
Mr Atwoli alleged that most of the young people on social media have never been members of any labour organisation in the country, yet they are leading the charge in inciting Kenyans against their leaders.
“Young men in social media have never worked anywhere. They have never been members of any trade union. You will see them commenting about trade union, about the Labour Cabinet Secretary, talking about discriminations. If the government and we people, who are in public life, cannot loudly speak, you will see it,” Mr Atwoli said.
At the same time, Mr Atwoli said there is need for the country to consider regulating some of the information which the young people are consuming.
“Every country must go through a rebirth process. Kenya was almost going through a rebirth in 2007, and God rescued us. Recently during the Gen Zs demonstrations, we were going to witness another rebirth but God helped us. I don’t think whether God will be with us in the third rebirth,” he said.
He also asked the elected leaders to avoid politics of division and to instead help the country to stabilize its economy, which he said is a worldwide problem.
The service was attended by Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwangolo Mwadime, who represented Labour Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua. Also present was Makadara Member of Parliament George Aladwa.
Mr Aladwa was not given the platform to address the congregation due to the church’s directive that prohibit politicians from addressing the congregation from the pulpit.
The prayer service comes ahead of Labour Day celebrations which would be held at Uhuru Gardens on Thursday this week, with President William Ruto as the chief guest.
The theme for this year’s celebrations is “self-reliance in production is the key to economic growth.”
Last year, the President proposed a 6 per cent wage increment for low income earners, a directive that was to be informed by the decision of stakeholders under the leadership of the Labour Cabinet Secretary.
Mr Atwoli blamed former Labour CS Florence Bore for failing to act on time, saying wage increment was implemented almost six months after the President gave the directive.
“Presidential directive is not debatable. I was about to boycott those meetings, because I have been around… maybe they thought that President was new and they could take us around.”