The curtain on the secretive world of Kenyan campaign financing has been ripped open. In a stunning revelation that has sent tongues wagging across the political divide, Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has claimed he single-handedly bankrolled the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) with a staggering Sh700 million during the 2013 general election.

Speaking on a prime-time television interview that turned into a confession booth, the lawmaker dropped the bombshell while defending his current political independence. Omondi, often viewed as a rebel within the party ranks, used the figure to quantify his loyalty and sacrifice, effectively challenging the party hierarchy to match his financial receipts. The claim has instantly re-ignited the debate on the influence of moneybags in shaping the democratic will of the people.

The Cost of Loyalty

The revelation came during a heated exchange on the state of the opposition. Omondi, never one to mince words, painted a picture of a party machine that ran on the fumes of personal fortunes. "I spent between Sh600 million and Sh700 million of my own money," he declared, a figure that, if verified, would place him among the top individual political donors in the country's history.

This admission raises critical questions about the 2013 polls, where Raila Odinga faced off against Uhuru Kenyatta. While the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) was known to have a well-oiled machine, the source of its fuel has always been a subject of speculation. Omondi’s assertion suggests that the burden of the campaign was shouldered by a tight circle of loyalists who are now demanding their pound of flesh—or at least, political respect.

• The 2013 Context: The 2013 election was a high-stakes transition poll. Omondi, then a key aide and strategist, was at the nerve center of the ODM operations.
• The "Rebel" Tag: By publicizing his contribution, Omondi is attempting to scrub off the "traitor" label pinned on him for working with the current government, reframing his actions as those of a stakeholder protecting his investment.
• Financial Transparency: The claim is likely to attract the attention of the Registrar of Political Parties, given the opaque nature of campaign finance laws in Kenya at the time.

A Challenge to the Status Quo

Omondi's disclosure serves as a direct challenge to the current ODM leadership, particularly the "young turks" like Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, whom he views as beneficiaries of a house they did not build. By putting a price tag on his contribution, Omondi is signaling that his voice in the Nyanza region cannot be silenced by mere party disciplinary threats.

"You cannot dismiss the people who laid the foundation," he seemed to imply. As the political landscape shifts ahead of the 2027 cycle, Omondi’s Sh700 million claim stands as a stark reminder that in Kenyan politics, loyalty is often measured in shillings and cents, and the receipt is always kept for a rainy day.