COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli on Thursday, September 17, attracted backlash from a section of Kenyans after he claimed that hustlers were thieves.
In a press briefing from his office, Atwoli alleged that those who used the term were not foresighted, indicating that all Kenyans needed was a properly structured system.
“You do not need to hustle, you need to come from school with your degree, look for a job advertisement in the newspapers and you apply for a job.
“You go for an interview and well-experienced people ask you questions and after three days, your name appears in the newspaper, having secured the position,” Atwoli continued.
The unionist stated that the term hustler only encouraged a man eat man kind of society, declaring that he would not allow any of his children to use the term in his home.
He lamented that some leaders were using poverty as a springboard to leadership rather than investing in the growth of the society.
Further, Atwoli faulted youthful leaders in the country for supporting and perpetrating corruption, adding that most wanted to be paid to influence a bill or motion in parliament.
His sentiments were not taken lightly by netizens baring in mind that the unemployment rate in Kenya had doubled in the months of April, May and June 2020 from 5.2% to 10.4%.
“I am writing this with tears in my eyes. Does Mr. Atwoli recognize that there are thousands of graduates out here who are jobless and are trying the best they can to make ends meet?” Sammy posed.
“Clearly, Atwoli is out of touch with commoners. He’s lucky he has had it easy all through. Majority of Kenyans worry about food, not clothes and shoes,” Jose Shep weighed in.
