KAKAMEGA, Kenya — Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has reiterated his confidence in President William Ruto’s chances of securing a second term in 2027, arguing that Kenya’s political history strongly favours incumbent presidents — but cautioning that poor political strategy could still complicate the president’s re-election path.
Speaking on Sunday, Khalwale said every Kenyan president has secured a second term, a precedent he believes Ruto is well-positioned to maintain.
“The country has a history of all our presidents getting a second term. I don’t see why William Ruto should be an exception,” he said. “The only way he can be an exception is if his politics are done badly. You can be winning, and then you spoil.”
The Senator sought to clarify earlier remarks he made in October, which some interpreted as suggesting that President Ruto would face an uphill battle in 2027.
Khalwale insisted his words were misinterpreted, noting that his intention was to urge the president to accelerate development to strengthen his re-election bid. “It hasn’t reached that point. If I wanted to say that things are difficult, I would have said it. I said that things would get tough,” he explained.
He also reaffirmed that Ruto remains his preferred presidential candidate. “Up to now, President William Ruto has not failed to be my candidate of choice,” he stated.
Khalwale’s renewed defence of Ruto comes at a turbulent moment in his own political career. Last week, the Senator was stripped of his role as Senate Majority Whip and replaced by Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced the decision after receiving formal communication from the Majority Party, ending Khalwale’s tenure in one of Parliament’s most influential leadership posts.
The move followed his open defiance of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) during the November 27 Malava by-election. Despite the party endorsing David Ndakwa as its flagbearer, Khalwale backed rival candidate Seth Panyako.
Ndakwa went on to win the contest with 21,564 votes against Panyako’s 20,210, but the fallout within the ruling party was immediate.
In the aftermath of the by-election, Khalwale rejected the poll outcome, calling the exercise “fundamentally flawed” — remarks that further inflamed tensions within the UDA caucus.
His removal as Majority Whip has been interpreted by political observers as a disciplinary measure aimed at reasserting party cohesion ahead of the 2027 race.
Even as he maintains public loyalty to the president, Khalwale’s recent political setbacks have sparked speculation about widening rifts within Western Kenya’s UDA leadership.
Some opposition figures have already extended overtures to him, portraying his ouster as punitive and politically motivated.
For now, the Senator insists he remains firmly in Ruto’s camp — but his warnings about the 2027 contest underscore a growing recognition within the ruling coalition that internal divisions could shape the country’s next electoral outcome just as decisively as external competition.
