Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has doubled down on his decision to oppose his UDA party's candidate, David Ndakwa, in the Malava Constituency by-election.
Speaking on Tuesday, Khalwale insisted that his decision to support DAP-K's Seth Panyako was payback for President William Ruto and his administration failing to issue the UDA ticket to the late Malava MP Malulu Injendi's son, Ryan Injendi, despite his administration doing the same for other family members of deceased politicians.
He highlighted how the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo's wife was given a seat in the cabinet and how the late lawmaker Dalmas Otieno's widow also landed a job at the State House, yet Ryan was denied the opportunity to serve.
"Me President, When Malulu died, Baringo Senator Cheptumo also died, and that was also when Migori's Dalmas Otieno died. For the two, you gave Cheptumo's widow a Ministry and Dalmas' wife was also given a big state job, but for Malulu, you did not remember the wife or even the son," he said.
Adding, "I thought you would allow him to serve as MP, but just as you denied Ryan Malulu Injendi that opportunity and brought an MCA, I have also declared that we will decide who we will vote for without interference from your office."
He further claimed that one of Ruto's cabinet secretaries had tried to interfere with the campaign process and insulted him for not supporting the UDA candidate.
As such, he sought clarification from the President on whether the CS had been sent by the President himself and if not, to advise him to leave the people of Malava alone.
Insisting the President owed the residents for voting him in office, he said, "We respect you, and if you want votes in 2027, there's no one else but me who will help you get votes in Kakamega but me, Dr Boni Khalwale."
Speaking after losing the UDA ticket on September 21, Ryan had blamed the Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS), Musalia Mudavadi, for allegedly influencing the primary vote.
However, he emphasised that the UDA party leader and other party officials had not intervened in the elections and thus wondered why the PCS had chosen to meddle in the constituency matters.
"We were with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and we wanted to deliberate amongst ourselves who would get the ticket, but were advised to vote instead," Ryan relayed.
"To the office of the PCS, what was so big in Malava that you had to come and challenge a young man like me? Why wouldn't you have left the people of Malava to vote their own way?" he quipped.
He, however, conceded defeat, congratulating the ticket winner, Kakamega County Assembly Minority Leader David Ndakwa, and urging him to ensure the Malava constituency continues to remain in favour of the government.
