If there is one Kenyan public figure whose wardrobe is treated as headline news, it is COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli.
Tailored Italian suits, gold chains, and shirts that cost a small fortune have long been part of his public identity. So when he arrived at the Mashujaa Day 2026 national celebrations in Eldoret looking rather different, Kenyans noticed immediately.
Atwoli stepped onto the green carpet at Kipchoge Keino Stadium wearing a black pinstripe kaftan-style outfit with a Mandarin collar, white vertical stripes, and an oversized, long-sleeved cut.
He completed the look with brown loafers and his trademark dark sunglasses, sheltering himself from the Eldoret sun with a red umbrella as a bodyguard followed closely behind. The image went viral within hours.
Kenyans react to Atwoli’s look
The comment sections on Facebook and X were unsparing. Many fans of his usual sharp style felt let down, with fingers pointed squarely at his youngest wife, Mary Kilobi and his designer.
“Kilobi amelalia kazi buana! Atwoli our fashion icon ameanguka,” one user wrote.
Another Kenyan commented:
“Alaa! Mzee has decided to punish the fundi. Hii ni Kaftan ama bui bui?”
Not everyone was critical, though. Some commenters pointed out that the kaftan is a dignified choice for elderly statesmen and that, at 76, Atwoli may simply have chosen comfort for a long outdoor event in the Rift Valley heat.
The Atwoli brand under scrutiny
The reaction speaks to how deeply invested Kenyans are in Atwoli’s public image. His lavish lifestyle, from his Kajiado mansion, which reportedly contains a mausoleum, to his Bofa Ocean View home in Kilifi where he recently hosted 15 senators, has made him a figure who invites both admiration and criticism in equal measure.
His usual Madaraka Day and Labour Day appearances in crisp maroon shirts, white suits and red ties have set a high bar. By comparison, the Eldoret kaftan struck many as a sharp departure, with one commenter calling it “a borrowed graduation gown that was cut into a suit.”
Whether Atwoli made a bold style choice or simply had an off day, one thing is certain: Kilobi is now the most talked-about tailor in Kenya this Mashujaa Day.
