NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 26-Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of repeatedly invoking his name in what he described as an attempt to remain politically relevant.Atwoli said Gachagua’s repeated references to him were misplaced, arguing that he had made relatively few media appearances compared with the former Deputy President.“Rigathi Gachagua should stop using my name to remain politically relevant because it appears to me that he has finally understood the reach and influence of myself, Francis Atwoli,” Atwoli said.“This explains why every time he opens his mouth; it is Atwoli, Atwoli, Atwoli!”The COTU boss was responding to Gachagua’s criticism of his recent appearance on Citizen TV, where Atwoli spoke to journalist Jeff Koinange.Atwoli said his previous interview with Koinange had been on January 7, arguing that his latest television appearance came after a lengthy gap.“He complains about me being invited to Citizen TV, yet before my recent appearance, my last interview with Jeff Koinange was on 7th January, which is almost eight months ago,” he said.In contrast, Atwoli claimed that Gachagua had given more than 200 interviews during the same period.“In that same period, Gachagua, in his failed attempt to remain politically relevant, has granted over 200 interviews to every television station, radio station, YouTuber and social media platform that will have him,” Atwoli said.“Around the same period, I have done only two, and somehow those two are enough to deny him sleep.”Atwoli also sought to draw a comparison between the online viewership of their respective Citizen TV interviews, saying Gachagua’s interview from two years ago had about 400,000 YouTube views while his interview with Koinange had reached about 300,000 views within four days.The veteran trade unionist then turned personal, telling Gachagua to focus on his activities in the United States rather than his media appearances.Atwoli also rejected Gachagua’s claim about his home area in Western Kenya.“Gachagua claims that I come from Kisa North, which is false. I come from Kisa Central, in Khwisero constituency of Kakamega County,” he said.He further accused Gachagua of harbouring hatred and questioned his suitability to advise others.“Finally, as I said on JKL, Gachagua is a man who harbors hate, and anyone who harbors hate cannot be an advisor to anyone. So he can’t claim to advise anyone,” Atwoli said.The latest exchange adds to a growing public war of words between the two leaders as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election.Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), has been conducting political engagements in the United States while positioning himself within efforts to build a united opposition front.He has also publicly clashed with Atwoli over the latter’s comments on Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s presidential ambitions.