Beware! Use of phrase 'Alaaa' Alaaa' could land you in trouble

Central Organization of Trade Unions(COTU) Sec Gen Francis Atwoli has formally earned a trademark for his common phrase "Alaaa".

Atwoli will enjoy the trademark for the three-word phrase "Alaa', 'Alaaa', Alaaa' until July 2031.

According to his personal assistant Adam Barasa, no one is allowed to use the phrase, which has been commonly applied in advertisements, music mixes, and so on. While speaking to Saturday Nation, Barasa warned deejays and emcees who are fond of using the phrase in their artwork.

"They should pay him.

"And, any advert can’t use the word ‘alaa!’ unless they get his permission," Barasa warned.

He gave an example of a billboard advertisement at Village Market that had used the 'Alaa' phrase which had to be pulled down to evade a lawsuit from the COTU boss.

"Atwoli akiiona, mtalipa millions! (If Atwoli saw it they could have paid millions)" Barasa added.

The trademark certificate indicates that Atwoli applied for the same on July 1, 2021.

He used the phrase during an interview at Citizen TV while responding to a question on who would or would not make it to presidency after the 2022 general elections.