COTU boss Francis Atwoli has in the recent past held the belief that former Eldoret North MP William Ruto will never be president before ODM leader Raila Odinga.
In 2019, Atwoli, who is a self-declared staunch critic of Ruto sensationally, claimed that his name will not be on the ballot paper come August 2022.
“Ruto will never lead Kenya. We shall have a President in 2022, but it will not be William Ruto,” the Cotu boss said in 2019.
His prophecy elicited a lot of criticism from William Ruto’s camp some accusing the vocal unionist of planning evil against the deputy president.
A few months ago, Francis Atwoli reiterated the same words saying: “I said it in 2014 that William Ruto will never be president. That is still my position.”
However, on Monday, August 15, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati declared William Ruto the fifth president-elect of the Republic of Kenya.
According to the results announced by the presidential returning officer, Ruto, who was giving his first attempt at the presidency polled 7,176, 141 votes in the just-ended General election held on Tuesday, August 9.
Commenting on William Ruto’s win, the flamboyant unionists said he has never said that Ruto will never be president.
Atwoli refuted claims that he said William Ruto’s win will be snatched.
He said the Kenyan Constitution is clear that whoever wins the elections will be the president.
“I have never said that… I have never said that William Samoei Ruto if he wins he will not be allowed… I have never used such terms. If you have won elections, you have won elections. It is covered in our constitution and you will be the president of the Republic of Kenya,” Atwoli said.
