Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has explained why President William Ruto was absent from the burial of his late wife, Gloria Sekeiyan Khalwale, saying he was the one who asked the Head of State not to attend the family ceremony.
Speaking during Gloria’s burial service at Malinya Stadium in Kakamega on Friday, August 21, Khalwale said President Ruto had reached out before the funeral to establish where his plane could land.
The Senator said he responded by making it clear that he wanted the occasion to remain mainly a private family event.
Khalwale said he communicated his position through Ruto’s personal assistant, Farouk Kibet. According to the Senator, he told the President that there was no need for him to seek landing coordinates because the family was not expecting him to attend the burial.
The Senator explained that he wanted to give his wife, who was also the mother of his eight children, a respectful farewell surrounded by family, friends and people close to them. He said his decision was not because of a lack of respect for the President but because of how he wanted the burial to be conducted.
Khalwale also used the burial ceremony to speak about the political relationships surrounding him and the absence of several senior leaders from the event. He claimed that some leaders from the Western region did not attend because of their political differences with him.
Among those he mentioned were Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula. Khalwale noted that he had previously served as Senate Chief Whip under Kingi.Other leaders associated with the Kenya Kwanza administration and the broad-based government were also absent from the ceremony.
Their absence came as Khalwale used the occasion to make his position on the region’s political direction clearer.On the other hand, several opposition leaders attended the burial, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang.
Their presence gave Khalwale an opportunity to publicly praise Sifuna, whom he said had shown him support during a difficult period.
Khalwale endorsed Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement and urged people from the Western region to consider supporting the Nairobi Senator as he seeks to build a national political base. He described Sifuna as one of the leaders who stood with him shortly after the death of his wife.
The Kakamega Senator recalled that Sifuna was among the first political leaders to send condolences after Gloria’s death.
He also said Sifuna personally contributed Ksh500,000 towards the funeral preparations.
Khalwale further criticised several senior political figures, including Wetang’ula, Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. His remarks added a political dimension to a ceremony that was primarily held to mourn his wife and remember her life.
Gloria Sekeiyan died on August 15 after suddenly collapsing from what was suspected to have been a heart attack. Her death left Khalwale and their eight children mourning her loss.
The burial brought together relatives, friends, political leaders and other mourners who gathered at Malinya Stadium to pay their final respects. While the Senator spoke about political differences and future alliances, he also emphasised his wish for the occasion to remain centred on his family and the memory of his late wife.
Khalwale’s explanation also clarified that President Ruto’s absence was not necessarily a sign of strained relations between the two politicians. Instead, according to the Senator, the decision was made after he personally asked the President not to attend.
The remarks came at a time when political alliances in Western Kenya continue to attract attention, with leaders positioning themselves ahead of future political contests. Khalwale’s endorsement of Sifuna added to the political discussions surrounding the region, although the main purpose of the gathering remained the burial of Gloria Sekeiyan and the farewell to a mother of eight.
