Labour CS Alfred Mutua Appoints Francis Atwoli to National Board for Social Protection

Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has appointed Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli as a member of the National Board for Social Protection for a three-year term, with the appointment taking effect on October 23, 2026.

The appointment was published in Gazette Notice No 16730 dated October 23, 2026, under section 10(f) of the Social Protection Act 2025, and Atwoli will serve alongside Kenneth Odire and Richard Mativu Musau, all three appointments commencing on the same date.

The National Board for Social Protection is mandated to advise the Cabinet Secretary, coordinate social assistance programmes, maintain a registry of beneficiaries and oversee monitoring, research and service coordination under the 2025 Act.

Atwoli has led the Central Organisation of Trade Unions since 2001 and was re-elected for a sixth term in March 2026, bringing extensive organised-labour experience to the board.

Political opponents have alleged that union leaders have become too close to the government, a claim the COTU has defended against.

The three-year term provides Atwoli an opportunity to apply his labour background to the oversight of welfare programmes for vulnerable Kenyans.