Senator Khalwale Reveals Why Ruto Was Absent At Wife’s Burial Amid High-Profile KK Snub
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has revealed that he personally asked President William Ruto not to attend the burial of his late wife, Gloria Sekeiyan Khalwale.
Speaking during the burial service at Malinya Stadium in Kakamega on Friday, August 21, Khalwale disclosed that Ruto had reached out to establish where his plane could land ahead of the funeral.
Khalwale said he conveyed his position through Ruto’s personal assistant, Farouk Kibet.
The senator told the President that he did not need to attend the burial, in response to why the Head of State gave the event a wide berth.
“William Ruto asked me to send coordinates for his plane to land,” Khalwale said.
“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.”
The Senator said he wanted the burial of his wife and mother of his eight children to remain a private family occasion, adding that he specifically asked Ruto not to attend.
“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 alleged that some senior leaders from the Western region stayed away from the funeral because of their political differences with him.
Among those who missed the burial were Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, under whom Khalwale once served as Chief Whip, and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
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Other senior leaders allied to the Kenya Kwanza administration and the broad-based government also skipped the funeral.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, his Homa Bay counterpart Moses Kajwang and other opposition leaders attended the service.
Khalwale used the occasion to endorse Sifuna’s presidential bid while criticising Wetang’ula, Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The lawmaker said he was backing Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement and urged the region to unite behind him as he seeks to mount a presidential bid.
Khalwale also recalled that Sifuna was among the first leaders to condole with him following his wife’s death and personally contributed Ksh500,000 towards the funeral preparations.
Gloria Sekeiyan died on August 15 after suddenly collapsing from a suspected heart attack, leaving behind eight children.
Senator Khalwale Reveals Why Ruto Was Absent At Wife’s Burial Amid High-Profile KK Snub
