“God is speaking”: Khalwale links daughter’s moment with Sifuna to destiny
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Boni Khalwale buried his third wife, Gloria, at their family home in Malinya, Kakamega County, in an emotionally charged ceremony
- The funeral took a political turn as Khalwale openly campaigned for Linda Mwananchi faction leader Edwin Sifuna before mourners
- One of the most talked-about moments came when Khalwale's daughter made a beeline for Sifuna, prompting a dramatic reaction from the senator
The burial of Boni Khalwale's third wife, Gloria, at the family's Malinya home in Kakamega County drew a crowd that witnessed far more than a typical funeral send-off.
The Kakamega senator, who is positioning himself for the county's gubernatorial race next year, used the occasion to heap praise on Edwin Sifuna, the leader of the Linda Mwananchi faction within ODM.
Khalwale credited Sifuna with sending a substantial cash donation to the family following Gloria's death, and used that gesture as a springboard to urge the Luhya community to throw their political weight behind him.
Did Khalwale meet Edwin Sifuna?
Amid the tributes and speeches, one moment cut through the solemnity of the day.
Khalwale's daughter, Maura, spotted Sifuna in the crowd and rushed over to greet him.
The senator seized on the moment, addressing it from the podium in a speech that blended grief, spirituality and politics in striking fashion.
"Maura, run, run, Maura. These things that you Luhyas are seeing, it is God who is speaking. Even I don't know where Sifuna came from, so does Osotsi; he does not know. Even Sifuna's mother told us that she was giving him to us without knowing where he was headed, but she blessed him," Khalwale told the gathering.
He went on to address those who might have felt uncomfortable with the political flavour of the ceremony, offering a personal justification rooted in his late wife's legacy.
"Let everything become so that the young people can take over from my generation. When other communities eat, we also have to eat. Do not feel bad that I am politicising my wife's burial. It is because my wife has cooked for two presidents, and today she will cook for the third president, Edwin Sifuna," he said.
The remarks painted a vivid picture of how deeply politics and community life are intertwined in Kakamega.
Khalwale has been openly vocal about his gubernatorial ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections, and the alignment with Sifuna signals a broader effort to consolidate support within the Luhya political landscape.
Gloria's burial, while a deeply personal moment for the Khalwale family, became a stage for what could shape up to be one of the more closely watched county races in western Kenya next year.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.