KAKAMEGA, Kenya – Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, accusing them of betraying him during the 2022 General Election and sidelining him from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
In an emotionally charged address at his Malinya home on Monday, July 14, Khalwale accused the two leaders of orchestrating a secret deal that cost him the UDA gubernatorial ticket for Kakamega County.
“The President shortchanged me. They went ahead with their politics with Mudavadi and sidelined me,” Khalwale declared before a crowd of supporters. “But all that is in the past now.”
However, his tone betrayed lingering frustration as he recounted how he had been an early and loyal supporter of Ruto’s presidential ambitions—hosting strategy meetings at his home and mobilising grassroots backing in Western Kenya when it was still politically risky.
Khalwale recalled how his late wife even cooked for Ruto during one of the campaign strategy sessions.
“Ruto was the last dignitary my late wife cooked for before dying. She knew I was helping Ruto become president, and he was helping me become governor,” he said.
Malala Deal Left Me in the Cold, Khalwale Says
Despite his loyalty, Khalwale claimed he was blindsided when the Kenya Kwanza coalition handed the Kakamega governor ticket to Cleophas Malala.
According to him, the announcement was made at a press conference without his knowledge or consent.
“I asked them, ‘So you’re just going to leave me like that?’ Then Mudavadi heard the president say, ‘Now you, Khalwale, should be senator.’ So they brought the Leader of Majority to a presser, and boom—Malala was the governor candidate,” he said.
The senator said he was left with no choice but to run for the Senate seat, which he won, despite not preparing or campaigning for it.
Khalwale’s Exit Plan: A New Party, New Aspirations
In what signals a deepening rift within UDA’s Western Kenya bloc, Khalwale confirmed he would not be seeking re-election on a UDA ticket in 2027.
Instead, he plans to vie for the Kakamega governorship on the platform of the United Patriotic Movement (UPM)—a new political outfit he launched with regional youth representation and presence in Western, Mt. Kenya, and Coast regions.
“The President has already endorsed Fernandes Barasa. UDA will not support me,” he said, accusing the ruling party of shutting the door on his ambitions.
Khalwale’s public airing of grievances adds to a growing list of internal tensions within Kenya Kwanza, with regional leaders increasingly expressing dissatisfaction with the distribution of political rewards and influence.
