COTU Addresses Viral Video of Atwoli Being Heckled

The Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya) has dismissed as “fake and edited” a viral video circulating on social media alleging that its Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, was heckled during a funeral service on February 14, 2025.

In communication, the workers’ umbrella body said its attention had been drawn to “an edited video currently circulating on social media platforms, falsely alleging that the COTU (K) Secretary General was heckled during a funeral he attended on 14th February 2025 (8 days ago).”

The organization moved to dispel the claims, stating unequivocally that “the video in question is misleading and does not present an accurate account of the events of that day,” while emphasizing that the remarks delivered by Dr. Atwoli at the funeral were fully covered by mainstream media outlets.

Broadcast Coverage Cited as Evidence

COTU (K) pointed out that established television stations were present and recorded the proceedings in their entirety.

“Notably, the remarks of Dr. Atwoli during the said funeral were captured by KTN News, NTV, and Citizen TV, which were all present during the funeral service,” the statement read.

According to the federation, the funeral proceedings were also streamed live online, providing the public with unrestricted access to the event.

“Moreover, the funeral proceedings were broadcast live on YouTube, and as is often the case in our digital age, any such incident, had it occurred, would have spread across social media platforms instantly,” the statement added.

COTU (K) questioned the timing of the clip’s circulation, noting that, “it is, therefore, telling that this alleged incident is only emerging more than eight (8) days later, and in the form of a heavily edited clip.”

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Rising Concerns Over Digital Manipulation

The trade union body warned that the episode reflects a broader and growing challenge.

“This development underscores the growing challenge of misinformation and the increasing misuse of technology to manipulate public perception,” the communication stated.

It further observed that, “we are living in an era where deepfakes and digitally altered content can easily distort reality, unfairly targeting public leaders and institutions,” terming it, “very unfortunate that leaders who occupy significant public space, including the COTU (K) Secretary General, Dr. Francis Atwoli, continue to be subjected to such deliberate misinformation campaigns.”

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Call for Responsible Social Media Use

In its closing remarks, COTU (K) appealed directly to Kenyans to exercise restraint and responsibility online.

“As COTU (K) we wish to call upon Kenyans to exercise caution, verify information before sharing, and use their social media platforms responsibly,” the organization urged.

The statement further encouraged the public, “to rely on credible sources and the full, unedited recordings of events rather than isolated and manipulated clips designed to mislead.”

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Signpost Showing the Entrance to COTU Buildings. PHOTO/ COTU