Khalwale’s UPM: The quiet vehicle behind his 2027 gubernatorial bid
By Mabonga Makhanu, December 22, 2025Kakamega County Senator Boni Khalwale has been hitting the political scene in recent months, especially due to his involvement in the Malava by-election.
His participation stood out after he openly campaigned for the Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K) candidate, Seth Panyako, defying the position of his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
This move came with consequences, as Khalwale was stripped of his Majority Whip position, which was subsequently awarded to Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli.
Khalwale had earlier shown signs of his departure from the UDA party months ago when he launched his own political vehicle, the United Patriotic Movement (UPM), at his Malinya home on Monday, July 14, 2025. The event was attended by tens of UDA supporters allied to him then. However, he has since kept the party on a low profile.
He stated that the UPM party is youth-driven, managed by university students, and will have branches across the country.
The launch
During the event, he invited a young woman dressed in a white T-shirt branded with the UPM logo, identifying her as the coordinator for the Western region. He noted that other regions, including the Coast and Mt Kenya, also have their respective representatives.
“We have teams across the country; she is in charge of the team in the Western Province, another little girl called Diana is in charge of Mt Kenya, and another one called Tunde is in charge of the coast,” Khalwale stated.
Khalwale urged his supporters to rally behind the UPM cause and walk the journey with him.
He emphasised the importance of grassroots mobilisation and tasked the Western region coordinator, Diana, with spearheading member recruitment efforts across the county as preparations for the 2027 gubernatorial race gain momentum.
“I know maybe some of you may want to walk the UPM journey, and for those who want to, Diana has come to train you on recruiting members in Kakamega County,“ he added.
Ditching UDA
This unveiling of the party came just after he ruled out using UDA as his political outfit in the next election.
During the same meeting, the outspoken senator stated that the path to becoming governor through UDA is no longer viable.
Wamalwa’s take on Khalwale’s party
This has elicited sharp reactions from politicians in the region, including DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa.
Wamalwa labelled the small parties being registered by politicians from the region as appendages of the UDA party and a move by the President to weaken the opposition and DAP-K’s influence in the Mulembe region.
He cited Khalwale’s UPM party and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), whose candidate finished third in the Malava by-election.
He noted that most of the DNA are former officials of Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), terming it another attempt to weaken DAP-K.
Wamalwa urged the region not to accept such parties and instead fully embrace DAP-K, arguing that doing so would increase the chances of defeating President William Ruto and his UDA party in the 2027 general election.