Controversial former MP Bonni Khalwale yesterday told his supporters he is confident of winning the Ikolomani by-election. The political maverick famous for promoting bull fighting in his Western province constituency said he is ready to charge at his challengers cleared by the IIEC to take him on in three weeks.
He will be gunning to reclaim the seat he lost in a court petition brought to court by rival Bernard Shinali. Khalwale first won the seat on a Ford-K ticket in 2002. He first run in 1997 on a Ford-K ticket, but lost to then Central Organization of Trade Unions boss the ate Joseph Mugalla.
He successfully defended the seat in 2007 general election, this time on a New Ford Kenya ticket under the Party of National Unity. But his service as MP was cut short by a successful election petition filed by Shinali, the ODM candidate.
After his re-election in 2007, Khalwale served as the chairman of the powerful Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee until his victory was nullified by a Kakamega High Court on February 18.
During his tenure as PAC chairman, he rattled the big and mighty in his crusade against graft. The most famous being his censure motion against then Finance Minister Amos Kimunya in connection with the sale of then Grand Regency hotel to a Libyan consortium.
Khalwale also took on suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto in an unsuccessful censure motion over the maize scandal. Khalwale did not spare Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta over the errors in his 2009/2010 budget speech. Khalwale is a polygamist with three wives and several children, two of them lawyers.
Khalwale was born in 1960 to Stephen Khalwale Paulina Shinangoi at Malinya village. He enrolled at Catholic-sponsored Malinya Primary School in 1967 and sat his Certificate of Primary Education examination in 1974.
He then moved to Musingu High School in 1975 and sat his East African Certificate of Education (EACE) examinations in 1978. He was admitted to Kakamega High School where he sat his “A” levels in 1980.
Popularly referred to in politics locally as Shindi Shindu (another think for Luhya) then joined University of Nairobi in 1981 to train as a doctor. He graduated in 1987. Before entering politics, Khalwale worked in Kakamega, Machakos and Kisii districts as a Medical Officer of Health. He later quit and started his private hospital, North Coast Hospital. He would move to Mwihila Mission Hospital in 1996 where he served as the medical superintend until 1997 when he resigned to join politics.
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