Francis Atwoli: I import my clothes from Nigeria and Geneva
Francis Atwoli, the Secretary General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), recently gave Kenyans an insight into his fashion and style during an interview with Jeff Koinange on Citizen TV aired on April 11.
The veteran politician revealed that he works with fashion designers from Geneva and Nigeria to curate his distinctive wardrobe.
During the interview, Atwoli showed off his fashion flair by wearing an eye-catching blue and white striped two-piece suit, which was praised by viewers.
“This fabric, most of them I get from Nigeria. This particular one was designed by my grandson who lives in the USA. He brought me several of them,” Atwoli said.
He went on to mention his Nigerian tailor, Mr Okoli, who creates his outfits with meticulous attention to detail.
Atwoli is also known for his love of oversized linen shirts, which he revealed are tailored in Geneva and personalised with his initials.
“My tailor in Nigeria is called Mr Okoli, he is the one who works on me for these kinds of shirts. The linen ones are tailored in a factory in Geneva and they have my initials on them,” he explained.
Despite his opulent taste, Atwoli insists that his fashion choices reflect his work commitments, particularly his frequent trips to Geneva for official business.
“It’s not because I have money, it’s because I work there. I spend three months in Geneva. I am one of the top leaders authorised to address the top leaders,” Atwoli explained.
Atwoli’s penchant for gold accessories, including rings, bracelets, cufflinks and necklaces, is also well documented.
He doesn’t shy away from revealing the hefty price tags of his luxury items.
In 2019, Atwoli revealed that he invested a staggering Sh5 million in a Franck Muller watch, a Swiss masterpiece made of pure gold, which he paid for in instalments.
“Most people don’t know me. Sometimes they overvalue me and sometimes they undervalue me. Someone said this watch was worth $20,000. That is about Sh2 million. My watch is not worth that. This is Franck and Muller. My watch is pure gold and it cost me over Sh5 million. I paid for it in instalments,” said Atwoli.