#AtwoliRetire: Karua, Atwoli in heated X face off over activist Hanifa's opinion piece

What started as a no-holds-barred rebuttal quickly degenerated into an eye-popping spat which pitted Hanifa against Atwoli before Karua joined in, further aggravating matters and leading to an all-out scuffle as X users followed gleefully.

At first, Atwoli sought to blast Hanifa over a newspaper piece she had penned in which he was mentioned. In the piece titled 'You're Tomorrow's Leaders,' Hanifa singled out Atwoli's lengthy tenure at COTU in her push for the Kenyan youth to take up the mantle of leadership.

Expressing his disappointment at Hanifa's attack, and in his defense of his reign at COTU, Atwoli blasted the activist, calling her a few choice names and poking holes into her credibility, especially after her much-publicised role in managing millions of funds for the sake of injured or killed Gen Z protesters.

"Hanifa should be the last person lecturing anyone on leadership or the occupation of leadership positions, given her track record that is riddled with integrity concerns," he ranted without proof.

"It is publicly known that Hanifa pocketed millions of Kenyan shillings contributed by well-meaning Kenyans who were raising funds to support youth who were injured or killed during the June 25th protests." 

He raved on: "How, then, can the Super-Young-Con-Woman position herself as a credible voice on leadership when she failed so blatantly during the one critical moment when she was called upon to lead?"

A not-so-pleased Hanifa would immediately hit back, and characteristically, furiously blast Atwoli, throwing several fiery salvos his way and promising to keep up the tempo for the next coming months.

"I accounted for the 31 million public money that I was in charge of. Something none of you simpletons in power have ever done. You’re not even worthy to address me, you’ll be tainting my good name!" she snapped.

"Dear Francis Atwoli, you’re officially my business you fat toad. Anyone with information on this guy please do the necessary."

Promising to run Atwoli out of town, Hanifa urged the COTU boss to have his eyes open as she would marshal her power to not only expose him but also storm his office.

"Stay vigilant old man. I’m not your ordinary blogger, didn’t your statehouse people tell you that? I’ll run your name on these streets before we occupy that office you refuse to leave. Take your medicines and welcome on board," she swore.

As the attacks continued pouring in, People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua also joined the conversation, expectedly, throwing her weight behind Hanifa and censuring Atwoli for besmirching the activist's reputation.

Attaching Hanifa's well-documented audit on how the millions raised to support Gen Z protest victims were spent, Karua termed Atwoli's attack 'disproportionate'.

She wrote: "My brother @AtwoliDza I am saddened by your vicious attack on @Honeyfarsafi a young patriotic leader who played an incredible role in mobilizing support for the victims of police brutality and who publicly accounted for the funds. Her article may have rubbed you the wrong way but your response is by all standards disproportionate."

Again, Atwoli resurfaced, slamming the Senior Counsel for her blanket support of Hanifa, and especially her claims on who killed former MP George Muchai.

He also doubled down on his claims that Hanifa misappropriated the Gen Z funds, urging Karua to, instead, offer legal guidance to the youthful activist.

"As a Senior Counsel, you must be well aware that the file on the murder of the late Bro. Muchai is still open and you ought to have advised @Honeyfarsafi that if she has any material evidence or “alternative facts”, she is free to present herself and or the “alternative facts” to the relevant authorities," he responded.

"On a separate note, regarding the funds that were grossly mismanaged by Hanifa, can she clarify who exactly benefited from these funds? We have numerous cases of Gen-Z individuals who report they never received any support from @Honeyfarsafi. There are so many victims who, until today, are still waiting for the assistance they were promised."

Not willing to be dragged too deep into the unfolding conundrum, Karua simply replied: "You are the elder so as you defend yourself restraint is expected I rest my case."

The high-stakes exchange eventually drew a curious audience, with many picking sides and, as expected, standing with Hanifa.

Popular lawyer Willis Otieno wrote: "Bwana Atwoli, your time is up. Retire or be dragged off the stage by the tide of history you’re desperately trying to outdance."

He added, "You’ve clung to the helm of COTU for 24 years, growing fat on workers’ sweat, while the very people you claim to represent sink deeper into poverty, joblessness, and indignity. You are no longer a voice for workers but a parody of what a unionist should be."

Also riding on the #AtwoliRetire hashtag, popular X personality Nyandia Gachago reacted, saying, "Kenyan youth are not just the future. They are the present. And no matter how many purple shirts you iron, you can’t disguise exclusion. Maybe the real youth league is online — building businesses, organizing protests, coding apps, and trying to survive this economy."

As of Thursday morning, the clash between the two appears to be still ongoing as Atwoli pushes back by defending his track record while at the same time, Hanifa keeps the blitz alive by punching holes into the COTU boss' scandal-ridden tenure, character and even his personal integrity.