Kenyan trade unions, historically founded on worker protection and social justice, are facing a crisis of internal democracy and relevance due to entrenched leadership and a lack of renewal.

• Key unions like COTU and KNUT are seeing leaders re-elected unopposed for decades, undermining their democratic roots.
• The Labour Relations Act of 2007 and the Constitution of Kenya 2010 mandate democratic processes, including secret ballot elections every five years.
• A call for recalibration emphasizes leadership reflecting active sector employees and stronger term limits to ensure unions remain responsive to current worker realities and foster generational renewal.