‘No Reason Ruto Should Fail’: Khalwale Defends President’s 2027 Chances After Party Fallout
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has dismissed speculation that President William Ruto faces an uphill battle for re-election in 2027, insisting that historical precedence strongly favours a second presidential term—provided the Head of State “does not play his politics badly”.
Speaking on Sunday, December 7, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) senator reaffirmed his confidence in President Ruto’s re-election prospects, arguing that every Kenyan president has traditionally secured a successive term.
“The country has a history of all our presidents getting a second term. I don’t see why William Ruto should be an exception,” Khalwale said. “The only way he can be an exception is if his politics are done badly. You can be winning, and then you spoil.”
His remarks appear aimed at clarifying earlier comments made in October, where he warned that the 2027 contest would be “tough” for President Ruto—a statement widely interpreted as a sign of growing friction within UDA ranks.
Khalwale insisted his warning had been mischaracterised. “It hasn’t reached that point. If I wanted to say that things are difficult, I would have said it,” he stated. “I said that things would get tough, and that was not the first time I said it.”
He referenced previous comments made during the burial of former Malava MP Malulu Injendi, where he told the President: “Your Excellency, the more development you do, the easier you make it for me to look for votes for you for re-election.”
The senator further emphasised that his political loyalty to President Ruto remains unchanged. “Up to now, President William Ruto has not failed to be my candidate of choice,” Khalwale affirmed.
Internal Party Tensions After Ouster as Majority Whip
Khalwale’s latest remarks come amid growing scrutiny of his standing within UDA following his removal as Senate Majority Whip. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi confirmed the leadership change on Tuesday, December 2, after receiving formal communication from the party leadership.
“I have received and verified a correspondence from the Senate Majority Leader informing the House that the Majority Party has effected a change in the office of the Senate Majority Whip,” Kingi said. “The new office holder will be Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli.”
The move has widely been interpreted as disciplinary action linked to Khalwale’s stance in the Malava by-election, where he openly opposed UDA candidate David Ndakwa.
Ndakwa narrowly won the November 27 vote with 21,564 ballots, defeating DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako, who garnered 20,210 votes. However, Khalwale rejected the results, describing the by-election as “fundamentally flawed”.
The senator’s fallout with the party leadership has fuelled renewed attention on internal UDA tensions as the ruling coalition begins to shape its strategy for 2027. Yet, despite the apparent rift, Khalwale maintains that President Ruto remains the strongest candidate and that the President’s performance between now and the next election will be pivotal to securing a second term.
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‘No Reason Ruto Should Fail’: Khalwale Defends President’s 2027 Chances After Party Fallout