Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has been removed as the Senate Majority Whip and replaced by Bungoma Senator David Wafula Wakoli following a decision by the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
The change was formally communicated to the Senate on Tuesday by Speaker Amason Kingi, who confirmed that the decision complied with all procedural and legal requirements under Standing Order 22.
Wakoli, who hails from National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford-Kenya party, will assume the role immediately.
According to the Speaker, the change followed a letter from Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, accompanied by minutes and an attendance list of a Kenya Kwanza coalition meeting held on December 2, 2025.
The documents indicated that the majority party had passed a resolution to remove Khalwale, paving the way for Wakoli’s appointment.
“As you are aware, Standing Order 22-5 provides that a Senator elected under Paragraph 1 may be removed by a majority of votes of all the Senators belonging to the majority party. Further, Standing Order 22-7 states that upon a decision being made by the majority party or coalition under this standing order, the decision of the party or coalition shall be communicated to the Speaker in writing, together with the minutes of the meeting at which the decision was made,” Speaker Kingi explained.
“I am satisfied that the change was made in accordance with Standing Order 22(5) and (7) of the Senate, and meets the threshold required under Standing Order 22. Accordingly, I wish to communicate to the House that the Majority Party Coalition has effected changes in the Office of the Senate Majority Whip, which shall now take effect. The office holder, therefore, is Senator David Wafula Wakoli, MP.”
Khalwale’s removal comes in the wake of the Malava Constituency by-election, where he openly campaigned against the UDA candidate, David Ndakwa, and supported opposition-backed Seth Panyako.
During the Malava by-election, Khalwale campaigned alongside opposition leaders, including Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, in support of Panyako, who lost narrowly to Ndakwa in a tightly contested race.
Earlier, Senator Samson Cherargei of Nandi County had publicly called for Khalwale’s removal, citing his involvement in the recently concluded Malava constituency by-election.
"Senator Khalwale must pay for his political sins for challenging his sponsoring UDA Party in the recent Malava constituency by-election by campaigning against our candidate. His contemptuous remarks against the UDA Party/Kenya Kwanza administration cannot go unpunished. We are going to make him an example of not undermining your own political party and bring back political hygiene under the Political Parties Act." Cherargei said.
