Atwoli Finally Speaks On Chasing His Wife Out For Supporting Sifuna, Details

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has dismissed claims that he asked his estranged wife, Roselinda Simiyu Atwoli, to leave their home after she publicly backed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Atwoli addressed the claims on Monday, August 24, saying an audio recording being shared on social media had been taken out of context.

According to the veteran trade unionist, the alleged phone conversation is more than a decade old and has been presented as though it were a recent development.

“Outdated. This is an expired video and narrative! That misleading Heha production audio is more than 10-years-old,” Atwoli said.

The clarification comes weeks after Roselinda publicly expressed her support for Sifuna ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The claims also revived memories of Atwoli's strained relationship with Roselinda, whom he publicly distanced himself from ahead of the 2022 elections.

In 2022, Atwoli stated that Roselinda was no longer among his relatives after she joined President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

At the time, Roselinda openly acknowledged her relationship with Atwoli while expressing her support for the political movement.

“My name is Roselinda Simiyu. My husband is known as Francis Atwoli. I am inside the Hustler Movement,” she said at the time.

Atwoli's latest remarks come amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 General Election, with political leaders and their associates increasingly declaring support for different camps.

The COTU boss has also recently been forced to address another claim circulating online.

On August 20, he denied reports that he had been scheduled to travel aboard a helicopter that later crashed at Mt Ololokwe in Samburu County, killing all seven people on board.

Atwoli described those reports as false and urged the public to ignore misinformation circulating on social media.