Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has sparked debate after claiming he spent more than Sh700 million supporting Orange Democratic Movement campaigns during the 2013 General Election.

Speaking in a recent television interview, Omondi said his financial backing of the party was significant and documented.

“You see, this party called ODM, if I gave you a breakdown of it, you would be shocked. Caroli Omondi financing a political party is not news,” he said.

When asked whether he considers himself a poor man, he responded, “I thank God, I am comfortable.”

He said he declined to fund the party in 2017 after being denied a nomination certificate.

“In 2017, I refused to give them money after they denied me a certificate. But I had 2 million dollars for them,” Caroli said.

Detailing his 2013 contributions, he added, “In 2013, I spent, I think, about Sh700 million. I bought 25 vehicles, and I gave them t-shirts worth $2 million. I gave their candidates Sh100 million or thereabout, I paid their agents Sh90 million, all those are documented.”

His remarks come as political activity intensifies ahead of the next General Election, and have since triggered widespread debate on his financial standing. 

Firebrand political figure Miguna Miguna wrote on X, “Where did you get the money from? Kenyans deserve to know.”

“When politicians throw around big figures, it is only fair to ask two questions: where is the money coming from, and what is expected in return?” wrote another. 

“The guy studied at Harvard when studying at UoN was prestigious. What do you expect?” a third asked. 

Omondi first rose to prominence in 2013 when he contested the Suba parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket but lost in party nominations, later challenging the outcome in court.

In the 2022 General Election, he was elected MP on an independent ticket after parting ways with ODM.

He has previously served in the National Assembly, including as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.