Impact & Response on Country-wide Rallies
The Central Organisation of Trade Unions COTU (K) Executive Board members together with all the 36 General Secretaries of its 36 Affiliates have for the last three months now been engaged in addressing public meetings across the country aimed at rallying their membership, the workers together with the rest of Kenyans in pushing for the full implementation of the Agenda Item IV as clearly indicated in the statement of principals on Long Term issues and solutions signed on 23rd May, 2008.
These public rallies have witnessed a huge impact across the country evidence by the admission of both political leadership and the committee of experts that the unveiling of the Draft Constitution on the 17th November, 2007 was as a result of the pressure from COTU (K) after it had held five (5) public rallies in Mombasa, Machakos, Embu, Meru and Thika during which it gave an ultimatums to the Government to publicly show commitment towards the enactment of New Constitution.
There has been growing interest from workers, farmers, politicians as well as Kenyans at large for these public meetings hosted by Central Organisation of Trade Unions (K) and this has been evidence by the huge crowds that the meetings continue to attract evidenced by the recent two weekend rallies in Migori and Webuye towns.
In all these meetings, the message has been that the destiny of this country will be decided by Kenyans as opposed to the political class and the Kenyan workers are determined to take the lead towards this cause.
Individual admissions
We have had individual admissions from the Attorney General including cabinet ministers of the pressure faced by the government owing to Central Organisation of Trade Unions (K)’s continued public meetings on reforms.
For instance during a rally in Eldoret, Agriculture Minister and Eldoret North MP William Ruto who attended the rally had this to say:
"I fully support what COTU (K) is doing across the country and that’s why I am here to tell them to continue. This country has gone through an era that we should never ever allow to be repeated and that’s what COTU is trying to do. You must keep the government to account and fulfill its pledges to the citizens."
"As a government we have no choice but to implement what is contained in Agenda Item IV or else these people (pointing at COTU (K) team) will not give us a break. Ni lazima tutimize."
The Minister further recognized and applauded COTU (K) for its impartial and important role it played during the Post-elections violence and the important role it continues to
During the Mombasa rally, nominated MP Dor said:
"What COTU is doing is what most Kenyans have been looking for years because politicians have failed this country and unless this void is filled, Kenya is headed into difficult times. Am happy COTU has taken over this important role where nobody has dared take…."
And in Garissa, nominated MP and member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution Sophia Abdi Noor said:
"During the 21 days the parliamentary select committee will be scrutinizing the Draft, one of the key institutions we will be consulting is COTU. As a committee we have no doubt that COTU will help this country attain a new constitution. I fully support what you are doing that’s why am here with you…."
The Sixteen (16) crowd-pulling meetings televised live on citizen TV station in Mombasa, Machakos, Embu, Meru, Thika, Nyeri, Naivasha, Nakuru, Kericho, Eldoret, Kisii, Kisumu, Kakamega, Garissa, Migori and Webuye have been attended by huge crowds including sitting MPs from the area and where such leaders have not attended, they have sent their representatives.
We continue to receive hundreds of emails and calls from Kenyans of all walks of life across all corners asking COTU (K) to proceed and address rallies in their respective areas and urging COTU (K) leadership to keep up the spirit and calls for reforms and the huge turn-outs for these meetings continue to create a huge impact both to the political leadership and the government to speed up reforms.
One such mail from Daniel Mbui Kihika in Seatle US said:
"We Kenyans in the Diaspora have been following COTU’s rallies on YouTube closely and we fully appreciate that finally an organization as COTU (K) has come out publicly to push the government to accountability. We have no doubt that these efforts have been long overdue and will see Kenya get a new constitution"
Further, His Excellency the President Mwai Kibaki awarded Head of State Commendation, HSC to two journalists John-Allan Namu and Mohammed Ali for their crusade against corruption after Bro. Atwoli had called for the same during the Nyeri public rally.
COTU (K) was ranked the 3rd most trusted institution by the public in a research conducted by a research firm, Infotrack Harris.
Meanwhile COTU (K) is determined to stick to its earlier promise to unveil its copy of the Draft Constitution come January 31st 2010 at kamukunji Grounds and this will be a document of the people for the people midwifed by COTU (K)
