Francis Atwoli, Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions, obtained a patent, making him the sole owner of the phrase Alaaah, Alaaah, Alaaah.
According to a statement from the Kenya Intellectual Property Institute (KIPI), Atwoli owns the now-famous term exclusively until 2031.
KIPI, the organization in charge of overseeing intellectual property rights, approved Atwoli’s proposal with a start date of 2021.
According to sources close to the COTU SG who confirmed this to the Saturday Nation, anyone planning to use the slogan for commercial purposes must first obtain permission.
“Any advert cannot use the word ‘alaa!’ unless they get his permission,” Atwoli’s close aide disclosed to the Nation.
The expression, which DJs frequently use in their mixes, will now be considered Atwoli’s property.
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Atwoli first used the catchphrase on the JKL show in a May 2021 interview with Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange. Later, the trade unionist stated his intention to obtain exclusive rights to the phrase in December 2021.
When asked about his decision and motivation, Atwoli stated that his attorneys had encouraged him to patent the phrase. He mentioned that he planned to incorporate the sayings into a variety of products, including sportswear and a clothesline.
In his application, Atwoli claimed that the term was a catchphrase that was in the public domain and attributable to him. Alaa, he claims, cannot be translated into English.
Cotu hired Francis Atwoli in August 2001. Since then, he has worked for the union. His influence, however, has been steadily dwindling since he publicly became involved in politics.
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