This afternoon, I held a brunch with Florian Koch, who is the Resident Representative and Country Director for the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Kenya. COTU (K) and FES have a longstanding collaboration that has promoted the interest and welfare of Kenyan workers.

This morning, via a phone call, I joined Board, Senior Management and the trade union representatives of the Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company, and called for sound industrial relations at the company even as COTU (K) works to ensure that there is greater unity at the NCWSC. I thanked the Management of Nairobi Water, under the leadership of Martin Nang’ole, for continuously strengthening social dialogue at the company and working with worker’s representatives to promote the rights and welfare of their workers.

Today, His Excellency President William Ruto, @WilliamsRuto hosted me at State House Nairobi for a discussion on the rights and welfare of Kenyan workers. We held a fruitful discussion with His Excellency even as I thanked him for his determination to transform this country and I assured him of the support of Kenyan workers in the realization of his Vision.

Yesterday, I led engagements with the Ministry of Transport and other players aimed at restoring normal operations within our airports while firmly safeguarding the rights and welfare of aviation workers. While COTU (K) recognizes the critical importance of uninterrupted aviation services to Kenya’s economy, we continue to call for the need of having industrial peace that is founded on respect for workers’ rights, effective social dialogue, and the full implementation and negotiation of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). We welcome the agreement reached between KAWU, KCAA, KAA and Jambojet, including commitments on outstanding CBA matters, remittance of agency fees and protection of workers from victimisation for participating in the industrial action. COTU (K) will continue engaging Government, employers and our affiliates to ensure that Kenya’s aviation sector remains productive, stable and respectful of the rights and dignity of every worker.

It is with profound pain and deep sorrow that I announce the passing of COTU (K) Treasurer General and General Secretary for the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA), Bro. Albert Njeru Obed, following a short illness. Bro. Njeru was a dedicated and steadfast trade unionist whose commitment to the welfare and dignity of workers remained unwavering throughout his service. His passing is an immense loss to COTU (K), KUDHEIHA Workers, and the wider trade union movement in Kenya and across the world. I have lost a brother, a loyal friend and a distinguished champion of workers’ rights. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the entire labour movement during this extremely difficult time. May the soul of Bro. Albert Njeru Obed rest in eternal peace.

Today, at the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) Headquarters in Accra, Ghana, where, as the President of OATUU, I inspected our offices as part of my working tour of the West African region. Over the past week, I have held numerous meeting with several trade union leaders and delegations to strengthen solidarity, deepen cooperation, and advance the shared interests of African workers. These engagements reaffirm our collective commitment to building a stronger, more united trade union movement capable of responding to the evolving challenges facing workers across our continent as the unity of Africa's trade union movement remains one of our greatest strengths.

This morning, in Accra, Ghana, and in my capacity as the President of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), I presided over the official opening of Organization's Continental Conference on Social Dialogue within the African Union, AU. In my remarks I underscored the role to be played by trade unions in fostering social dialogue especially at a time when the world of work is experiencing transitions and changes.

Following the recently concluded International Labour Conference (ILC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), in Geneva, I am proud that COTU (K) took an active part in ensuring that there is a new convention on Decent Work in the Platform Economy (ILO Convention No. 193). COTU, in promoting the welfare of platform workers, commits itself to building the capacity of affiliated unions to organize, represent, and advocate for workers in the platform economy. To actualize this convention, we shall intensify efforts to support the unionization of gig workers, ride-hailing drivers, delivery riders, data annotators, content moderators, online freelancers, and other categories of platform workers whose voices have often been marginalized in labour relations systems. We shall also work closely with government, employers, Parliament, the Senate, the ILO, and development partners to promote the ratification and effective implementation of Convention No. 193 in Kenya.

𝘾𝑶𝙏𝑼 (𝙆) 𝑺𝙏𝑨𝙏𝑬𝙈𝑬𝙉𝑻 𝑶𝙉 𝙋𝑹𝙄𝑽𝘼𝑻𝙀 𝙋𝑬𝙉𝑺𝙄𝑶𝙉 𝙎𝑪𝙃𝑬𝙈𝑬𝙎 𝙄𝑵𝙏𝑬𝙍𝑬𝙎𝑻𝙎 𝘼𝑮𝘼𝑰𝙉𝑺𝙏 𝙉𝑺𝙎𝑭 It has come to the attention of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), COTU (K) that certain players within Kenya's 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒌𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅 (𝑵𝑺𝑺𝑭) and frustrating its growth into a strong and competitive national social protection institution.