COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli. FILE
Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli has sensationally claimed that some people in the country "abduct themselves" to get funding from organisations.
Speaking during the burial of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Atwoli said he is privy to such cases owing to his vast networks that transcend the borders.
"On abductions, I work with many organizations across the world, some people are abducting themselves so that they can get money from some organizations," he said.
Atwoli added that parents must teach their children to be respectful people, who should not use social media in a bad way.
“Your right is not key to tamper with the rights of others. We must respect the office of the President,” he said.
Atwoli was speaking on Friday at a highly charged burial service of the mother of the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi.
President William Ruto, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, Several MPs, Governors, CS and other government officials were present.
Speaker after speaker weighed in on the abduction fiasco even as Ruto's allies moved to defend the government against the backlash.
Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi called on Kenyans to criticise the government objectively even as he warned against getting personal.
He said the country has a law governing the code of conduct in various sectors, including social media, saying those violating the law should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
"You can criticize the policies of the government but you cannot get personal," Kiingi said even as he asked government agencies to act on those violating the law.
However, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya disagreed with Atwoli on abductions.
“I say this with a very heavy heart. For a leader to stand here and say people are abducting and killing themselves, is unfortunate. It is not for this hallowed grounds,” he added.
“Our children are getting lost and killed; that is the position.”
The remarks on abductions come at a time when Kenyans are demanding answers on the whereabouts of several Kenyans who were picked up by unknown men at different parts of the country.
The whereabouts of the men remain unknown.
On Monday, a section of Kenyans staged a protest to demand the release of the group but none of them has been let go.
