- The Member of Parliament for Suba South, Caroli Omondi, avoided directly responding to allegations that he slapped the Member of Parliament for Suna East, Junet Mohamed, during a live interview on television
- When pressed several times on air about the alleged feud, Omondi dodged the question and asked the journalist to invite him to another show to give a detailed explanation.
- The MP narrated his long political history with Junet but refused to address the incident of the confrontation in public, a situation that increased emotions and rumors about what happened
- Earlier reports claimed that the dispute arose from a meeting at State House and issues of who can reach the top political leadership
Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi has refused to respond directly to reports that he physically confronted Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed.
Source: Facebook
However, Caroli chose to avoid the issue during the live television interview and encouraged the reporter to ask the question at a later time.
Did Caroli Omondi beat Junet?
Omondi, who was speaking in the morning program on Ramogi TV, seemed to be interested in directing the debate to what he called “people’s issues,” as pressure mounted to ask him to respond to allegations of a physical altercation involving him and a fellow senior ODM leader.
When a reporter asked him if he slapped Junet, Omondi several times refused to give a direct answer on air.
“We cannot finish this discussion without me asking you this question. Did you slap Junet Mohamed? What happened?” asked the reporter.
Omondi objected, saying the issue should not dominate the show, and suggested the journalist contact him later to get full details on the alleged feud.
He explained his long relationship with Junet, recounting their past meetings when Junet was still a councilor in the now defunct Migori county council.
“Let’s not start with Junet’s issues. Let’s not spoil this debate because of Junet’s issues. I don’t want to turn this episode into Junet’s. We are talking about the people’s issues. One day I will call you aside to tell you how we started with Junet, I made him a councilor, a mayor, I brought him to Nairobi, I got him to approve Raila; I wrote a speech that he read and we have continued to where we are today. I can tell you that story,” said Carol.
Even after the follow-up question, Omondi continued to refuse to address the issue in public, repeating that Junet’s issues should not disrupt the show.
When was Caroli Omondi allegedly beaten by Junet?
According to previous reports, Omondi claimed that Junet tried to intimidate him during the meeting by asking him how he got to State House without Junet knowing.
The member of parliament told the publication that the confrontation happened shortly after the formation of the integrated government.
“I was at the State House talking to the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei. When Junet found me talking in depth with Koskei, he got angry and asked me how I got there without his blessing,” Omondi was quoted as saying.
He claimed he tried to defuse the situation by explaining that the conversation was important and that he would look for Junet later, but Junet allegedly became increasingly angry.
Source: Twitter
According to Omondi, Junet presented himself as a gatekeeper, implying that any leader from Luo Nyanza who wants to reach State House must go through his office.
Omondi said the action angered him, which led to a physical confrontation where he grabbed Junet by the collar of his shirt and slapped him.
“He was saved by a senior woman leader of ODM,” he was quoted as saying.
It was further alleged that Junet informed the President William Ruto about the incident, but the president did not take any action.
Is ODM headed for disintegration?
Omondi’s debate on the television program has added to the ongoing tension within ODM, where Junet has found himself in the middle of a fierce conflict within the party.
The Suna East Member of Parliament, who is also the Minority Leader in the National Assembly, is facing strong criticism from his party colleagues who oppose ODM’s collaboration with President Ruto and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) under an integrated government arrangement.
Omondi and the general secretary of ODM Edwin Sifunawho is also a Nairobi senator, have emerged as the main voices opposing the collaboration with the UDA.
On the other side, there are party leaders who support the arrangement, including party leader Oburu Oginga and the national chairman of ODM and the Governor of Homa Bay. Gladys Wanga.
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