SENATOR BONI KHALWALE MOURNS WIFE GLORIA SEKEIYAN’S DEATH Kakamega.

In a statement shared on his social media platforms, the senator announced the loss with plain and painful simplicity. “My dear wife, Gloria Sekeiyan Khalwale, has this morning suddenly collapsed and died after a heart attack,” Khalwale wrote.

He identified Gloria as the mother of eight of his children, naming them as Engine Kukaste Khalwale, Olivia Sabayi Khalwale, Flavia Shimuli Khalwale, Gift Atubukha Khalwale, Meliza Khamwenyi Khalwale, Velma Nasiebanda Khalwale, Sonia Inuni Khalwale and Maura Makatse Khalwale.

The death occurred at the family home in Kakamega. Khalwale did not immediately provide further medical details beyond the heart attack or announce funeral arrangements. Messages of condolence began pouring in almost immediately from political colleagues, constituents and members of the public.

Gloria’s passing marks the second time Khalwale has lost a wife under similar circumstances. His first wife, Adelaide Shikanga Khalwale, died on the morning of October 5, 2019, at their home in Malinya, Ikolomani, after collapsing. Adelaide, then 56, had been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension two days earlier and had previously battled and recovered from blood cancer. She had been married to the senator for 39 years and was the mother of his first three children.

Gloria was Khalwale’s third wife. The senator has publicly stated that he has four wives and 17 children in total. His second wife, Josephine Umina Khalwale, is the mother of three children, while his fourth wife is Diana Moragwa Khalwale, also mother of three. Gloria herself was the mother of eight.



One of Gloria’s sons, Engine Kukaste Khalwale, recently graduated as a certified full-stack software engineer from Moringa School, an achievement the senator had publicly celebrated weeks earlier.

Khalwale, a medical doctor by training and a veteran politician popularly known as “the Bullfighter” for his passion for traditional Luhya bullfighting, has represented Kakamega County in the Senate since the 2022 general election under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). He previously served as Member of Parliament for Ikolomani Constituency from 2002 to 2013 and as Kakamega’s first senator from 2013 to 2017. He is known for his outspoken style, legislative activism and deep roots in Western Kenya politics.

The sudden nature of Gloria’s death has drawn widespread sympathy. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna sent a message of condolence, saying, “Omwami Khalwale, pole sana for your loss. May God comfort you and your family in this difficult time. Khulialala Omwami. May her soul rest in peace.”

Orange Democratic Movement Director of Communications Philip Etale also expressed heartfelt condolences to Senator Khalwale, his family, the community of Malinya in Ikolomani and the wider Kakamega County. National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair Samuel Atandi and Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang were among other leaders who publicly offered prayers and support.

Ordinary Kenyans flooded Khalwale’s social media posts with messages of solidarity. Many referred to him by his cultural nickname and expressed shock at the repeated loss of a spouse in such abrupt fashion. The senator’s announcement was shared widely across platforms, reflecting both his national profile and the personal nature of the tragedy.

Gloria’s death has once again placed the Khalwale family under public attention. The senator has in the past spoken openly about his large polygamous household, defending the legitimacy of all his children and describing the different mothers’ contributions. In a February 2024 briefing he detailed the distribution of his 17 children among the four wives, noting that Gloria’s eight included some already in university and others still in lower levels of education.