Funerals have increasingly become political battlegrounds as the country heads to the 2027elections. These gatherings offer veritable avenues for assessing audience moods and political temperatures. This is more so in the western region, where burial ceremonies are often elaborate and attract who is who in the regional equation, to capitalize on the attendance – more so in high profile funerals.
The weekend burial of the wife to Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale’s wife, Gloria Sekeyian, was well attended by political leaders from across the region and nationally but missing in the gathering were two prominent kingpins: Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Masika Wetangula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Quite pointedly, it is not true that the two regional kingpins deserted one of their own in the hour of need. Following the demise of Mama Gloria, the two leaders were among hundreds of other leaders who condoled with Khalwale. Wetangula visited the Khalwale family at their home in Malinya on Thursday 20th August, the day before the burial, and conveyed condolences on his own behalf, Parliament and President William Ruto. Mudavadi never visited the Malinya home and it is not clear why.
Come the D-day on Friday, 21st August and the two regional kingpins were a no-show. And it was not entirely surprising. Their fast-emerging regional political nemesis and former ODM Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, was in the house with his loyal lieutenants in the Linda Mwananchi movement.
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The rousing welcome Sifuna received and special honour bestowed upon him by his host apparently justified why both Wetangula and Mudavadi had the presence of mind to keep off. They avoided a potentially humiliating political showdown with the new kid on the western political block.
Perhaps they borrowed a leaf from their own political benefactor President William Ruto, whom Senator Khalwale himself said that he had made request to attend but he advised him not to because he wanted his wife’s burial to remain a dignified occasion. A subtle way of saying that his presence may have caused ugly scenes, be it through jeering or cheering.
In other words, Khalwale was telling the president that the Malinya affair was more than a funeral. It was a battleground for political supremacy and like in any battle, the mighty have their ways. Mudavadi and Wetangula read the mood wisely but at what cost to their claim to regional political stronghold? More so for Mudavadi in his own neighbouring backyard? Putting it plainly, Khwalwale’s wife funeral exposed the soft underbelly of western political kingpins.
The funeral also affirmed Sifuna’s emerging influence beyond his Bungoma home county or Nairobi base. It was a testimony that Mudavadi and Wetangula remain guarded in their quest for kingship, even as they assure President Ruto of holding the sway in the region for his term-two re-election.
The fact that the event was hugely peaceful waters down the security concerns they may have had, if this played a role in their absence. Other broad-based government stalwarts, such as Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka and Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, were received well. So was Mumias East MP Peter Salyasa, who has been a staunch critic of Sifuna.
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