George Wajackoyah, The Roots Party leader/ SCREENGRABThe Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah has revealed that Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli is his uncle, saying anyone attacking the veteran trade unionist is also attacking him.
Speaking during a live interview on Citizen TV on Sunday night, Wajackoyah described Atwoli as a close relative and credited the Cotu secretary general for his resilience and energy.
“Atwoli is my uncle; if you touch Atwoli, you touch me. Atwoli is my mum’s brother; they are cousins. That is why you see where this stamina comes from,” Wajackoyah said.
He said he has maintained close ties with the Atwoli over the years, describing him as “my big brother” and a source of inspiration.
The Roots Party leader also used the interview to formally declare that he will contest the presidency in the 2027 general election under the party’s ticket, insisting that he has remained politically active since the 2022 polls.
He said his party has continued grassroots mobilisation quietly across the country ahead of the next polls.
The former presidential candidate also dismissed claims that he disappeared from the political scene after the 2022 general election, saying the Roots Party has been organising and campaigning “chini ya maji” away from public attention.
“We decided to be an underground party, the Sinn Féin. We decided to do things silently without making noise,” he said.
The Roots Party leader further confirmed that he will be on the ballot in 2027, saying the party had already held its National Delegates Conference at a five-star hotel where members endorsed his candidature.
“I am running for President. Yesterday I had my NDC in a five-star hotel and it was packed. We Roots Party are running for President,” he said.
Wajackoyah also reflected on how he was perceived during the 2022 presidential race, when many critics dismissed him as a fringe candidate and “comic relief” in the crowded contest.
He said his unconventional campaign style and advocacy for the legalisation of hemp initially made many Kenyans fail to take him seriously.
“Definitely they were,” he said in response to claims he was viewed as comic relief.
Drawing from political philosophy, Wajackoyah cited Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli to explain his political journey.
“The first day they despise you, the second day they spit on you, the third day they get shocked, the fourth day they listen to you and the fifth day they join you,” he said.
He maintained that his message and political ideology are now gaining traction across the country as the 2027 race slowly begins to take shape.
