NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 10 – Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has dismissed viral claims that he gifted his nephew a brand new car worth Sh8 million as a reward for excelling in the recently released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The claims, which circulated widely on Facebook and X on Friday, January 9, showed an image of Atwoli handing over car keys to a young man standing next to a Toyota Prado decorated with a ribbon.
Social media posts accompanying the image alleged that the veteran trade unionist had bought the vehicle for the young man in recognition of his academic performance, sparking mixed reactions online.
“Francis Atwoli gifts his nephew a brand new Toyota Prado worth Ksh8 million after he posted exemplary results in his KCSE exams,” read one of the widely shared captions.
However, Atwoli moved swiftly to dismiss the claims, branding the post as fake and misleading. He urged Kenyans not to be misled by what he described as social media propaganda, stamping the circulating image with a “Fake” watermark.
He did not clarify whether the young man in the photograph is his nephew.
Atwoli, a long-serving and outspoken COTU leader, is also known for his flamboyant public persona and headline-grabbing moments.
In 2019, he caused a stir during a live interview on Citizen TV hosted by veteran journalist Jeff Koinange when he dramatically flung his iPhone 11 Pro Max across the studio.
Koinange attempted to catch the phone mid-air, but it missed him and hit the studio floor with a loud thud, drawing widespread public attention.
At the time, the device which had been released by Apple in September 2019, retailed at approximately Sh170,000.
