Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has disclosed that he personally asked President William Ruto to stay away from the burial of his late wife, Gloria Sekeiyan Khalwale.
Speaking during the funeral service at Malinya Stadium in Kakamega on Friday, August 21, Khalwale said Ruto had contacted him to find out where his plane could land ahead of the ceremony.
Khalwale said he relayed his request through Ruto’s personal assistant, Farouk Kibet, explaining that he wanted the burial to remain a private family affair.
“William Ruto asked me to send coordinates for his plane to land. I told him through his PA, Farouk Kibet, that when someone is bereaved, you do not need to ask them to send you landing coordinates,” Khalwale said.
He said he specifically requested the President not to attend the funeral of his wife, who was also the mother of his eight children.
“I asked him that I want the burial service of my wife, the mother of my kids, to be as nice as this, that he should not come,” he said.
Khalwale also claimed that several senior Western Kenya politicians skipped the funeral because of their political differences with him.
Among those absent were Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, who previously worked with Khalwale as Senate Chief Whip, and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
Other leaders associated with the Kenya Kwanza administration and the broad-based government also failed to attend, while Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang and other opposition figures were present.
During the ceremony, Khalwale endorsed Sifuna’s presidential ambitions while taking aim at Wetang’ula, Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
He urged Western Kenya residents to rally behind Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement as he seeks to pursue a presidential bid.
Khalwale recalled that Sifuna was among the first leaders to visit and condole with him following Gloria’s death. He also said the Nairobi Senator contributed Ksh500,000 towards the funeral arrangements.
Gloria Sekeiyan died on August 15 after suddenly collapsing from a suspected heart attack. She left behind eight children.
