Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has ignited a fresh debate over the power, privilege, and public funding of political parties, accusing Kenya’s political outfits of tightening their grip on elected leaders while demanding billions from taxpayers.
Speaking on K24 TV in a hard-hitting critique of the country’s political system, the legislator argued that Parliament has increasingly become captive to party interests, with many MPs unable to independently represent the people who elected them.
“The problem in Parliament is capture by political parties,” Omondi said, contending that parties often confuse partisan interests with the public good.
Drawing a distinction between Kenya and South Africa, Omondi noted that Kenyan voters elect individuals rather than parties.
As a result, he argued, the mandate belongs to the elected representative, not the political vehicle that sponsored them.
Yet, he said, political parties behave as though they own MPs once they arrive in Parliament, leaving little room for independent thought or dissent.
He further claimed that independent legislators are routinely denied equal opportunities within the House.
But it was his attack on political party funding that delivered the loudest political thunderclap.
Omondi alleged that political parties are pursuing billions in public funding, warning that such vast resources could distort the democratic playing field and make it nearly impossible for newcomers and independent candidates to compete.
“Political parties are private members’ clubs,” he said.
“They are no different from football clubs. Why should taxpayers bankroll them with tens of billions when hospitals lack medicine and parents are struggling to pay school fees?”
His remarks come amid an intensifying national conversation over the Political Parties Fund, whose allocations have long attracted controversy.
Lobby groups have previously sued the government over alleged underfunding of political parties, while critics have questioned the accountability and transparency surrounding the use of public money by political outfits.
The debate has grown even louder following recent disputes over funding claims involving major parties, including ODM and UDA, both of which receive substantial allocations from the Political Parties Fund.
PAY ATTENTION: Reach us at info@gotta.news
