United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has replaced Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale with Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli as the Senate Majority Whip, signalling a reshuffle in the party’s leadership in the Senate.
Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli will now play a key role in coordinating the party’s legislative agenda in the Upper House, a position that has been held by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale since September 17, 2022.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi confirmed the change on Tuesday, saying he had received and verified an official correspondence from the Senate Majority Leader notifying the House of the change.
“I have received and verified a correspondence received from the Senate Majority Leader informing the House that the Majority Party has effected a change in office of the Senate Majority Whip,” Kingi said.
This follows recent development where Kakamega senator took a different stance from the UDA party in the Malava constituency by-election by supporting the DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako aginst the UDA candidate David Ndakwa.
The party’s disciplinary committee had formally warned Khalwale in October 2025 over disloyalty and gross misconduct, but he continued campaigning for Panyako.
Khalwale maintained that he was exercising his freedom of choice and challenged UDA to remove him from his Senate majority whip position.
“They are forcing me to take a stand against my community for a mere position. I cannot betray my house because of positions,” Khalwale said.
He also revealed that he has politically moved on from UDA and plans to run for Kakamega governor in 2027 under a different party.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) had on November 28, 2025, challenged party members who supported opponents in last week’s by-elections, daring them to step down if they feel popular enough to contest future polls.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, November 28, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar said disloyal members should either resign or face the party in a fair contest.
“If you think you’re that popular, resign like Raila Odinga once did and face us in a contest,” Omar stated.
The move is seen as part of broader internal adjustments aimed at reinforcing party discipline and strategy in the Upper House.
The Senate Majority Whip is a critical role, responsible for mobilising party members, managing attendance during votes, and overseeing legislative business for the majority party.
With Wakoli now in the position, UDA hopes to strengthen its influence in the Senate and maintain cohesion among its members during the current and future legislative sessions.
