NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 19 – Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi has disclosed that he personally injected between Sh600 million and Sh700 million into the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) during the 2013 General Election campaign.
Speaking in an interview on JKL Live on Wednesday night, Omondi detailed what he described as extensive financial and logistical support to the party at a critical political moment.
“In 2013, I think I spent about Sh600-700 million of my money,” he said. “I bought 25 vehicles, I gave T-shirts worth US$2 million, I gave candidates more than Sh100 million, and I paid their agents Sh90 million. All those are documented.”
The issue of campaign financing resurfaced during a heated exchange between Omondi and Eddy Oketch, when questions were raised about the source of funds for the Linda Mwananchi rallies organized by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
According to the first-term MP, his contribution went beyond campaign merchandise. He said he financed vehicles branded for campaign use, provided direct support to parliamentary candidates and facilitated payments to party agents across the country.
At the time, Omondi was serving as Chief of Staff in the office of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a position he had held since 2008.
Omondi also revealed that he had set aside an additional US$2 million (approximately Sh260 million) for ODM’s 2017 campaign but withheld the funds after the party denied him a nomination certificate to contest the Suba South parliamentary seat.
The ticket was instead awarded to current Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who at the time served as ODM’s National Chairman.
“In 2017, I refused to give them money after they denied me the certificate, but I had US$2 million for them,” Omondi said. “In 2022, I didn’t give them any money.”
The 2017 fallout drew public attention, partly because Omondi was the landlord of Orange House, the building that then housed ODM’s headquarters, while Mbadi was one of the party’s senior officials. The political rivalry was widely framed as a contest between landlord and tenant. Although Omondi claimed victory in party primaries, the ticket dispute ultimately went against him.
Claims of External Influence
Beyond financial disclosures, the MP echoed recent claims by other senior party figures that ODM’s internal affairs are being influenced by actors outside its formal structures.
“External forces in charge of ODM make decisions, give them instructions; they facilitate them to do the job,” Omondi alleged.
Referring to a recent party meeting in Mombasa that reportedly deliberated on disciplinary action against Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, Omondi claimed there had initially been a stalemate before what he described as fresh instructions altered the outcome.
“When they were in Mombasa, the information I have is that during the first round of the meeting that suspended Sifuna, there was a stalemate… around mid-day he seemed to have survived. I think they were given instructions to deliver, so there was another meeting in the afternoon,” he said.
The allegations add to ongoing tensions within ODM as the party navigates internal realignments and leadership transitions.
