The family of Kakamega Senator Dr Boni Khalwale is mourning the sudden death of Gloria Sekeyian Khalwale, his third wife and the mother of eight of his children.
Khalwale announced Gloria’s death on Saturday, August 15, saying she suddenly collapsed and died after suffering a heart attack.
In his message, the senator described Gloria as his “dear wife” and went on to name their eight children, highlighting the important place she held in his family.
Gloria was the mother of 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.
Unlike her husband, who has remained a prominent figure in Kenyan politics for many years, Gloria largely kept her personal life away from public attention.
Information about her early life, education and career has not been widely documented. Much of the public information about her came from Khalwale’s occasional social media posts and comments about his family.
Her death has therefore brought renewed attention to the senator’s family life, particularly his polygamous household, which he has openly discussed on several occasions.
In 2024, Khalwale said publicly that he had four wives and 17 children. His first wife was Adelaide Khalwale, with whom he had three children.
Adelaide died in 2019, marking the first major loss of a wife in the senator’s family.
His second wife is Josephine Umina Khalwale, with whom he has three children. Gloria was his third wife and had eight children with him, making her household the largest among the four in terms of the number of children.
His fourth wife, Diana Moragwa Khalwale, has three children.
The four households therefore account for the 17 children Khalwale has publicly acknowledged. However, information about all the children has not always been consistently available in the public domain, making it difficult to establish a complete list without relying on speculation.
Khalwale has over the years been known for publicly celebrating his children’s achievements. He has shared posts about their education, examinations, graduations and other important milestones, showing the importance he places on their progress.
Gloria’s eight children have now been directly identified in the senator’s announcement as those mourning the loss of their mother.
Her death is expected to have a significant impact on the household, particularly because of how sudden the loss was.
For Khalwale, the death is another painful family bereavement following the death of Adelaide in 2019.
Despite his long career in politics and his public image as an outspoken politician, his message about Gloria’s death focused largely on his family rather than his political life.
The senator has not yet provided detailed information about the circumstances surrounding Gloria’s death beyond saying that she collapsed and died after a heart attack.
As relatives, friends and political colleagues continue to send messages of condolence, the family is now preparing to lay Gloria to rest.
Funeral and burial arrangements are expected to be announced by the family.
At the centre of the mourning are Gloria’s eight children and the wider Khalwale family, who have lost a mother and wife whose life was largely lived away from the political spotlight.
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