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COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has been relieved his duties as board member of the National Bank of Kenya (NBK) recently acquired by the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).

According to a local publisher, KCB has announced the purging of the former board and appointed seven new directors who are expected to breathe a new lease of life into the previously troubled bank.

Atwoli who occupied one of the two seats reserved for the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) nominees represented workers’ interests in the lender.

Besides Atwoli, former NBK Chairman Mohammed Hassan, Mark Obuya and Joseph Kering have also been given the boot.

The new management has also done away with board seats reserved for treasury cabinet secretary and the managing trustee of the NSSF.

“Following the completion of all the regulatory processes for the takeover of National Bank of Kenya, changes have been made to the board of directors,” reads the public notice.

“The directors have voluntarily retired from the board to pave way for the smooth transition,” adds the notice.

In their stead, KCB has appointed NBK chief executive Paul Russo, John Nyerere, Stanley Kamau, Jones Nzomo, Linnet Mirehane, Gen (Rtd.) Julius Karangi and KCB CEO Joshua Oigara.

“The new board will provide oversight over all the operations of National Bank in line with the overall KCB Group strategy,” adds the notice.

He has been vocal and commanding, with him at some point insinuating that Deputy President William Ruto’s name will not be on the ballot come 2022. But is it guaranteed that he commands everyone? Well, Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general Francis Atwoli is now crying foul over President Uhuru Kenyatta’s aides and security chiefs for ignoring his calls.

Speaking to the press in his offices in Nairobi, the Central Organisation of Trade Union boss said unlike Francis Muthaura and other aides of former President Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru’s aides are rude.

He accused them of colluding with cartels to lie to the President over the Portland Cement land saga.

“They don’t receive my calls. If [Interior CS Fred] Matiang’i does not receive my call, how can he receive a call from a common mwananchi?” Atwoli asked.

The Cotu chief criticised Uhuru’s administration and urged him not to take the advice of his aides on anything concerning the land.

Atwoli said he is a trustee of NSSF which has 28 per cent of shares in the 4,700 acres of Portland.

“I and millions of other Kenyans are part of the land. We have shares there and we cannot allow cartels to lie to the President and steal land from Kenyans. No one has said that Portland has free land to give to the state,” he said.

He warned President Kenyatta to be keen if he wanted to achieve his agenda.

Atwoli urged the state to follow the right channel if it wanted to take the land, failure to which the matter will be taken to court.

“I want President Uhuru to get this right from us. There is no free land from Portland. If anyone needs this land let him follow the right procedure.”

The Cotu chief added that he was ready to die if cartels need to eliminate him to achieve “their vision of stealing from Kenyans” but said that justice will prevail even after his death.

COTU

Atwoli sacked from NBK board

Atwoli cries foul as ‘rude’ Uhuru’s aides ignore his phone calls