Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli has caused a stir by saying that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta is too powerful and needs to be taken care of.
Speaking on Saturday, Atwoli said that the constitution should be amended to include provisions for taking care of former heads of state.
He insisted that a retired head of state should become a peacemaker across the world and should not take political sides.
“Remember, I warned you in 2017 that the retired Uhuru Kenyatta has too much money and can’t just be left alone, he needs to be taken care of. We need to look at this constitution, amend it and say that once a president has served his 10 years he becomes a peacemaker,” he said.
Atwoli was responding to calls for the unity of President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
He said that the work of uniting Ruto and Raila should be left to Uhuru Kenyatta. He also warned that Uhuru Kenyatta has too much money and can’t be left alone.
The comments by Atwoli have been met with mixed reactions, with some people questioning his motives. Some people have interpreted his statement to mean that he wants Uhuru Kenyatta to be taken care of because he is a political threat.
Others have accused Atwoli of being out of touch with reality and trying to create controversy for his own benefit.
Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, who deputized him for ten years, have not been on speaking terms for years. However, Uhuru Kenyatta peacefully handed over power to Ruto, who had won over his preferred candidate Raila Odinga.
The comments by Atwoli are likely to fuel speculation about the political future of Uhuru Kenyatta and his relationship with Ruto.
