Caroli Omondi: Upcoming ODM NDC is a coronation, not an election
By Mabonga Makhanu, March 23, 2026Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has stated that what will happen at the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Delegates Conference (NDC) will be more of a coronation than an election.
While speaking during an interview with a local media station on Sunday, March 22, 2026, the outspoken MP also dismissed the upcoming NDC as illegally and unlawfully constituted.
“What will happen during the ODM NDC which will take place on Ngong Road? It will not be an election; it will be a coronation. They are talking of positions. Have you heard of two or three people vying for any seat?” he asked.
Omondi, who is also an integral member of the Linda Mwananchi team, argued that if indeed there were to be elections at the ODM NDC—expected to be presided over by party leader Oburu Odinga—there would have been campaigns for various positions, including individuals expressing interest in the party leader position, as was the case during the tenure of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
He noted that in previous NDCs, there was competition for the top seat, recalling how the current Kisii Governor, Simba Arati, once contested against Raila Odinga for the party leader post. According to him, such competition is currently lacking, as no one has come forward to express interest in the party’s top leadership position.
He also cited past NDCs where former Tourism Minister Najib Balala contested for the same seat against Raila, saying the current situation is a stark contrast to what used to happen. Hence, justifying why the NDC will be a coronation
Upcoming ODM NDC
This comes at a time when the party is increasingly fragmented ahead of the upcoming NDC, with factions emerging, one led by Oburu Odinga and the other by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
The Sifuna-led Linda Mwananchi team has announced that it will not attend the special NDC organised by the Oburu-led faction, which is set to take place at Jamhuri Grounds along Ngong Road, and will instead hold a parallel conference dubbed the ‘People’s NDC’.
According to the Linda Mwananchi group, for an NDC to be legally binding, it must be convened by the party’s secretary general—currently Edwin Sifuna—who has not called for any such meeting, rendering the planned NDC null and void in their view.
Wanga’s remarks
ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga has responded by insisting that there will only be one NDC, dismissing the parallel meeting as an attempt to confuse party members and create unnecessary sideshows. She added that while members are free to hold political rallies or barazas, they should not do so in the name of an ODM/NDC.
Caroli Omondi further argued that grassroots elections within the party have not yet been completed, making the NDC process unviable.
He also cited the case regarding Sifuna’s ouster, which is currently before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), as another reason why the NDC should not proceed at this time.