Francis Atwoli was born on June 6, 1949, in Kakamega County, Western Kenya, to Livingstone Alubala Atwoli and Mary Machengo. As the eldest son in a humble family, he spent his early years between Nairobi—where his father worked as a driver—and Kakamega, where he eventually started school. Growing up in both city and rural life gave him a close-up view of the struggles working families faced, something that would later shape his commitment to labour rights.
Atwoli began school in 1955 at Shiongo Primary in Kakamega, then moved on to Shirotsa Intermediate, where he sat for the Kenya African Preliminary Examinations (KAPE). Teachers remember him as a disciplined and outspoken student, often stepping into leadership roles among his classmates. These early experiences helped build his confidence and sparked his interest in social justice.
He started his secondary education at St. Mary’s School in Muthangari, Nairobi, before transferring to St. Mary’s Secondary School in Machakos to complete his O-levels. During this time, he attended a public lecture by Tom Mboya, a respected trade unionist and politician. Mboya’s powerful message about workers’ rights and unity deeply influenced Atwoli, planting the seed for what would become a lifelong dedication to the labour movement.
After school, Atwoli entered the workforce in the early 1970s, taking on tough, low-paying jobs that connected him directly with ordinary workers. These firsthand experiences strengthened his resolve to fight for better pay, safer conditions, and fair treatment.
Eager to deepen his knowledge, Atwoli went on to study industrial and labour relations at the College of International Labour Studies in Turin, Italy. There, he received training in trade union leadership, negotiation, and managing labour organizations—skills that would become central to his career.
He also pursued further education in business and human resource management, earning a degree in Business Administration with a focus on HR from Cavendish University in Uganda. This academic foundation gave him the tools to balance both the technical and human aspects of union leadership.
Today, Francis Atwoli stands as the longest-serving Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), a role through which he has continued to champion the rights and welfare of workers across the country.
