Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale recalled how President William Ruto failed to honor a political agreement struck before the 2022 general election.
During an interview with a vernacular radio station on Thursday, March 26, 2026, Khalwale revealed that he stepped down from the Kakamega gubernatorial race to support Cleophas Malala based on a specific set of promises. He explained that the leadership offered him a choice between a cabinet secretary position or the role of speaker, and he chose the former.
The senator stated that Ruto explicitly promised him the health cabinet secretary portfolio once the new administration named its ministers. However, Khalwale alleges that the president later “shortchanged” him, leaving him out of the cabinet entirely despite their prior arrangement.
“After asking me to step down from the Kakamega gubernatorial race in favour of Malala, Ruto asked me to choose between a Cabinet Secretary position and the Speaker role. I chose to be a CS, and he told me that when he appointed his ministers, I would be the health cabinet secretary. However, he later shortchanged me,” Khalwale stated.
The outspoken senator explained that President Ruto proposed a strategy similar to the one used for Moses Wetang’ula. The plan involved both leaders defending their legislative seats, with the understanding that they would later resign to join the Executive. Under this arrangement, Khalwale would have become the Health Cabinet Secretary, while Wetang’ula would take up the Speaker’s role.
Following the formation of the Cabinet – from which he was excluded – Khalwale says he approached then-Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to request the Senate Majority Leader position. Initially, Gachagua agreed to the request, but the final announcement awarded the role to Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot. Khalwale expressed frustration at this decision, pointing out that Cheruiyot entered Parliament a full 12 years after he had already begun his own legislative career.
“I told the deputy president, duly elected; I told him that now the president has named a cabinet, let me take leadership in the Senate.” He said yes. “Then the president named a young guy who came into parliament in the 12th year when I had already served 12 years in parliament.”
As a consolation for missing out on both the Cabinet and the top Senate leadership, the party appointed Khalwale as the Majority Whip. Despite his initial disappointment, the Senator stated that he embraced the role with full dedication, vowing to set a new standard for effectiveness in the position.
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