MP Caroli Omondi reveals he personally spent Ksh.700M in ODM's 2013 campaigns

This played out during an interview on Citizen TV's JKLive on Wednesday night, between Suba South MP Caroli Omondi and Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, whose debate morphed into a showdown between proponents of the “Linda Ground” push and those rallying behind “Linda Mwananchi.”

During the interview, Omondi noted that the members of Linda Mwananchi faction, among them Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, personally finance their rallies.

Projecting his political influence and financial muscle, Omondi alleged that he single-handedly dished out millions to the party during ODM’s 2013 campaigns in which the late Raila Odinga was the presidential flagbearer.

“In 2013, I think I spent about Ksh.600-700 million of my money. I bought 25 vehicles, I gave T-shirts for 2 million USD (approx. Ksh.258 million today), I gave candidates more than Ksh.100 million, I paid their agents Ksh.90 million. All those are documented," he alleged. 

“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 $2 million for them." 

Senator Oketch dismissed claims that Linda Ground, a faction linked to party leader Dr. Oburu Oginga and seen as pro-coalition with President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA), was being bankrolled by the ruling party.

“I don’t think so because I’ve seen our members, including Governors, trying to brand themselves as much as possible,” Oketch said.

He described Linda Ground as consistent with ODM’s long-standing grassroots mobilisation. 

“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,” he stated.

Omondi, however, painted a different picture, alleging undue influence within the party that controls the party's operations. 

“External forces in charge of ODM make decisions, give them instructions; they (the said forces) facilitate, they (Oburu faction) do the job. When they were in Mombasa, the information I have is that the first round of 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,” he claimed.

He argued that the division within ODM is fundamentally about succession and ideology. 

“What is happening in ODM is the fight for Raila Odinga’s legacy. It is true the orange is split; one group has lost focus on the mission,” Omondi said.

According to the MP, the Linda Ground proponents are focused on consolidating power and aligning with UDA, while Linda Mwananchi seeks to return to the party’s founding ideals. 

“Those proponents of ‘Linda Ground’ are more focused on consolidation of power and the march towards an engagement with UDA. Linda Mwananchi on the other hand, is going back to the core of ODM which is being people centered,” he said.

Further, Omondi denied exiting the party but confirmed he would not seek re-election on an ODM ticket.

On the other hand, Migori Senator Oketch maintained that his loyalty to the late Raila Odinga and his ideals remains unwavering. 

“The person who introduced me to politics was Raila Odinga. The reason why I am saying that he is my General even in death, and I trust him even in death so that whatever he wanted me to do, I will do it," Oketch stated. 

"Even when he is not there, what anchors me is the values that he left us with. I am not in broad-based because I chose to go in broad-based, I am in broad-based because it is one of Baba’s legacies that he put himself into to make sure that the country could be together."

The debate among the two lawmakers highlights the growing ideological rift within ODM. As the stalemate deepens, ODM’s future appears uncertain ahead of the 2027 polls.