Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has called for the enactment of a law to regulate campaign financing.

In an interview on Wednesday, February 18, the lawmaker argued that the high cost of politics is shutting out capable young leaders with fresh ideas. 

“We have to have campaign financing law and reduce the amount of money that circulates in our politics because it is locking out all the young good people with great ideas,” he said.

Omondi also spoke about the state of the country and the need for political renewal, expressing optimism that different generations could unite in pursuit of change.

“Kenya needs change very urgently. There is something happening in Kenya that may bring the various generations together in this quest for change. There is no perfect arrangement in politics, everyone will have to compromise, find their rhythm and that change will come,” he added.

Omondi further weighed in on internal affairs within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), alleging external influence in party decisions.

“External forces in charge of ODM make decisions, give them instructions, cost what is required for execution then facilitate them and they do the job.

“The first round of meeting that suspended Sifuna there was a stalemate but they were then given instructions that they have to deliver so another meeting was convened to get the job done,” he further said.

Addressing speculation about his political future and relationship with ODM, Omondi clarified that he has not left the party but will not seek re-election on its ticket.

“If I had left ODM, there would have been a by-election in my constituency (Suba South) so I have not left ODM. I have however made it clear that I will not seek re-election in ODM,” he stated.

Omondi added that his decision not to run on the ODM ticket was made earlier, while distinguishing personal loyalty from party membership.

“I declared that I will not run on ODM long before Baba died. I had resigned from ODM in 2017; it was through Raila’s persuasion that I came back in 2022. Being a supporter of Raila doesn’t mean you belong to ODM,” he said.

Omondi had in late last year announced that he will not seek re-election under the ODM Party in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, Omondi revealed he will contest the Suba South parliamentary seat under a new political outfit.

“It is not my intention to seek re-election on an ODM ticket. I think I will run for re-election on a different party. Which party it is or who I am associating with those, we will discuss later. The only thing I can say, it is not one of the known parties; it will be a new party,” he stated.

Omondi expressed doubts that the party will conduct credible nominations in 2027, claiming that the ODM party will do zoning, which will then lock out certain candidates

“They once threatened to expel me, and I know they will come up with zoning rules. Didn’t they just do that in Kasipul? What about the other people who want to run in ODM strongholds? Where will they go? They will do zooning, and we know they will not do credible nominations. People must have choices,” he said.

Omondi went on to suggest that the ODM party might be getting direction from somewhere else.

He pointed out that following the death of Raila Odinga, the party quickly appointed Oburu Oginga as the acting leader without him even being aware of the process.

“What that implies is that that call came from somewhere else, and that worried me because it therefore seems ODM is getting directions and control from somewhere else,” he added.

Omondi further criticized the ODM leadership, saying it no longer embraces the ideological underpinnings on which the party was founded.

“I do not feel that the current ODM and its leadership embrace the ideological and intellectual underpinnings upon which we founded the party. I find it very short-termist, interested in imagery and not characterized by deep thinking,” he further said.

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has revealed that he spent Sh700 million to fund the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party during the 2013 General Elections.

The MP also said that he withheld another donation of US$2 million (about Sh260 million) in the 2017 elections after the ODM party denied him a ticket to run for an MP seat.

He stated during an appearance on JKL at Citizen TV on Wednesday night that the money came in the form of cash and materials, including the purchase of 25 branded vehicles for campaigns.

“In 2013, I think I spent about Sh600-700 million of my money. I bought 25 vehicles, I gave T-shirts worth US$2 million (approx. Sh260 million today), I gave candidates more than Sh100 million, and I paid their agents Sh90 million. All those are documented,” Omondi said.

In 2022, the first-term MP, who is an advocate, revealed that he never spent any money on the late Raila Odinga-led party but had withheld an equivalent of Sh260 million in 2017 after the party settled on current Treasury CS John Mbadi.

During the fiasco, it was widely joked that Caroli, who was then the landlord of Orange House where ODM was headquartered, was up against his tenants—Mbadi, who was then ODM national chairman. In the end, the landlord lost the ticket even after he beat Mbadi in party primaries.

“In 2022, I didn’t give them any money. In 2017, I refused to give them money after they denied me the certificate, but I had US$2 million (about Sh260 million) for them,” he said.

At the time the MP says he spent the Sh700 million, he was the outgoing Chief of Staff in the late Raila’s Prime Minister’s office, where he had served since 2008.

The question of funding arose during a showdown between Omondi and Migori Senator Eddy Oketch when the source of funds for Linda Mwananchi rallies led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was raised.

The MP said leaders affiliated with the faction, including Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, raise funds among themselves to finance the rallies.

There have been questions about who is funding the activities of the ODM rebels, which have attracted huge rallies in Busia, Kitengela, and are now headed to Kakamega this weekend.

The ODM Linda Ground faction, led by party leader Oburu Oginga and a section of ruling UDA MPs, have accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of bankrolling the youthful team. Uhuru has never responded to the claims.

During the show, the MPs traded accusations on the source of funds for the Linda Ground group, with Oketch denying any state sponsorship.

“The Linda Ground movement is just a slogan, but it is something that is not new; it is the routine of what ODM has been doing. Every year, whether before elections or after elections, we have done what other parties have not been able to do, which is being able to be in touch with the people on the ground,” Senator Oketch argued.

However, Omondi repeated claims made by Sifuna and Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi days earlier, that the ODM party was being micromanaged from outside.

“External forces in charge of ODM make decisions, give them instructions; they facilitate them to do the job. 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, and I think they were given instructions to deliver, so I think there was another meeting in the afternoon,” Omondi claimed.