'You must suffer looking for leadership'; Atwoli dismisses Sifuna’s presidential ambitions

• Atwoli argued that Sifuna’s presidential ambitions were premature and that he can only be a future leader.

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli speaks during an interview on Citizen TV's JKLive on January 7, 2026. Photo/ Jason Mwangi |Citizen TV

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna is not ready to become the President of Kenya; this is according to Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live, Atwoli argued that Sifuna’s presidential ambitions were premature and that he can only be a future leader.

“Sifuna, one-term Senator you want to become a president? Not in Africa, we must detain, you, we must make you go through stages. You must suffer looking for leadership. You must know how economy is crafted. You must be able to understand the problems Kenyans are having. You must pay school fees for your children. You must raise money for other people. You must build churches, you must do what we have done. For now no. Capital N-O!” Atwoli told Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange.

According to the COTU boss, the masses that the Nairobi Senator has gathered in his Linda Mwananchi rallies can not amount to a successful presidential bid.

He compared Sifuna’s popularity to that of Moi-era politicians including Kenneth Matiba, Paul Ngei, Jaramogi Oginga, Bildard Kagia, Ronald Ngala, who never became presidents.

“It requires massive support. The massive support from all county governors, in this country, business communities, and Raila had networks, and we still lost. And Sifuna is not even a quarter of those people who have tried to aspire, serious ones,” said Atwoli.

He argued that the presidency was not an easy task, and it wasn’t determined by the masses that one could pull.

Sifuna, the leader of Linda Mwananchi, is yet to officially declare his presidential ambitions, but has hinted at it multiple times.