Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has steadily returned to the political spotlight, with recent events pointing to a carefully calculated strategy ahead of the 2027 general election.
His role in the Malava by-election drew widespread attention after he openly campaigned for Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K) candidate Seth Panyako, a move that went against the official position of his party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The decision proved costly. Shortly after the by-election, Khalwale was removed from his position as Senate Majority Whip, with the role handed to Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli.
To many observers, the move confirmed what had already been brewing beneath the surface — Khalwale’s political future no longer lay within UDA.
Months earlier, Khalwale had quietly laid the groundwork for his next political chapter by launching a new party, the United Patriotic Movement (UPM).
The party was unveiled on July 14, 2025, at his Malinya home in Kakamega County, in an event attended largely by his supporters, many of whom were still aligned to UDA at the time.
Despite the launch, UPM has largely remained under the radar, with minimal public activity.
However, political insiders view this low-profile approach as deliberate rather than accidental.
Khalwale has described UPM as a youth-driven movement, managed largely by university students and structured to have a national footprint.
According to him, the party already has coordinators across several regions, including Western Kenya, Mt Kenya and the Coast.
During the launch, Khalwale introduced a young woman as the Western Kenya regional coordinator, explaining that similar teams had been set up in other parts of the country to spearhead grassroots mobilisation.
He urged his supporters to embrace the new party and commit to building it from the ground up, signalling a long-term political plan rather than a short-term protest vehicle.
At the same meeting, Khalwale made it clear that he no longer sees UDA as a viable path to the Kakamega governorship.
He openly ruled out using the ruling party as his political platform in 2027, a statement that effectively confirmed his break from President William Ruto’s camp.
This declaration marked a significant shift for a politician who once played a key role in UDA’s leadership and grassroots mobilisation in Western Kenya.
The emergence of UPM has not gone unnoticed by other leaders in the region.
DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa has been among the most vocal critics, dismissing UPM and similar outfits as proxy parties designed to weaken the opposition.
Wamalwa argued that the registration of small regional parties by Western Kenya politicians serves the interests of the ruling establishment by fragmenting opposition support.
He grouped UPM alongside the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), whose candidate placed third in the Malava by-election.
According to Wamalwa, many DNA figures are former officials of Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), which he views as part of a broader strategy to dilute DAP-K’s influence in the Mulembe region.
He urged voters in Western Kenya to reject emerging splinter parties and instead rally behind DAP-K, insisting that unity remains the strongest path to challenging President Ruto and UDA in 2027.
While UPM has yet to make a loud national debut, its existence offers insight into Khalwale’s long-term ambitions.
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