There’s more to his death, family of Cyrus Omondi, the Late Kahawa Wendani MCA, speaks out

By Paul Njau and Brian Okoth

The family of the Late Kahawa Wendani MCA, Cyrus Omondi, has urged the Kenyan Government to conduct thorough investigations into the ward rep’s death, suggesting they don’t believe a heart attack led to his demise.

Led by Omondi’s younger brother, Stephen Odhiambo, the MCA’s family say they have never had a history of heart-related diseases, and, therefore, the allegation that Omondi succumbed to a heart attack on Wednesday, February 12, should be subjected to a probe.

The family says word got around so quickly that Omondi died from a heart attack, yet a postmortem hadn’t been done to ascertain the allegation.

“We have been told that his body is in Mumbai, India. A family representative should fly to India and take part in transporting his remains back to Kenya. A comprehensive postmortem examination should be conducted to establish the exact cause of my brother’s death,” Stephen Odhiambo told K24 Digital at Omondi’s home in Kahawa Wendani, Ruiru Sub-County.

“Our appeal to the Government of Kenya is that a thorough probe into his death be conducted. It would be remembered that Cyrus was dedicated to the Jubilee administration,” added the MCA’s sibling.

Cyrus Omondi’s family friend, Rose Karimi, told K24 Digital that even after news broke of Omondi’s death on Wednesday evening, they are yet to receive a doctor’s report confirming that the MCA lost his life following a heart attack.

“We are yet to receive concrete information on what caused his death. The State should ensure investigations into Omondi’s death are conducted,” said Karimi. 

When K24 Digital visited Omondi’s home in Kahawa Wendani, immediate family, close relatives and friends were in a somber mood, wondering what caused their loved one’s sudden death.

The Late MCA’s mother, Millicent Odhiambo, was so heartbroken to speak to us, and so was the ward rep’s widow, Jacqueline Omondi.

Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura told K24 Digital that he suspects that someone was behind the death of Omondi, given “he was committed to the fight against graft and self-centered leadership”.

Ruiru MP Simon King’ara eulogised Omondi as a “development-oriented leader who prioritised the welfare of the people he represented”.

Heart attack

Kiambu County Assembly Speaker, Stephen Ndichu, who spoke to K24 Digital on Wednesday evening, said Omondi died after suffering a heart attack.

Cyrus Omondi, who was on a trip to India, was found dead in his hotel room Wednesday, Witethie ward representative, Julius Macharia, told K24 Digital.

Macharia alias Taki said Omondi’s death has came as a shock to the Kiambu County Assembly fraternity, given he was of good health at the time of his demise.

“I received news of Omondi’s death via a social media platform that all Kiambu MCAs are on,” said Macharia.

Another MCA from Kiambu County, Simon Kuria Wakarema, who represents Theta Ward, said Omondi was among MCAs in the Education Committee, who attended a workshop in India recently.

“After they broke news of Omondi’s death, all the MCAs in the Education Committee, switched off their cell phones, and none of us (in Kenya) could reach them,” Kuria told K24 Digital.

Kuria said he and his colleagues in the Kiambu County Assembly called for an urgent meeting to plan Omondi’s funeral.

Successful on third attempt

Cyrus Omondi was elected as Kahawa Wendani MCA in the August 8, 2017 general election after two previous failed attempts.

On the past two occasions, Omondi, who hails from Siaya County, ran for the MCA seat on an ODM ticket, a political outfit that proved too hard to sell in what was perceived as a Jubilee heartland due to the high population of members of the Kikuyu ethnic group.

“They often told me that I was a good leader, but the party that sponsored my candidature wasn’t popular in Kiambu County. That was why I shifted camps to Jubilee [ahead of the August 8, 2017 general election],” Omondi told NTV in an interview aired on April 26, 2017.

Omondi trounced his competitors in the Jubilee Party primaries held on April 21, 2017, and went ahead to emerge victorious in the general election nearly four months later.

“I am the first candidate of Luo descent to be elected as a leader in Kiambu County,” he said.

Omondi observed that his close interaction with the constituents of Kahawa Wendani endeared him to the electorate.

“I have been in charge of community policing in Kahawa Wendani, and that is why I decided to run for MCA seat in this ward. I joined politics to serve the interests of the young people,” he told NTV on April 26, 2017.

‘Our son’

The ward rep revealed that he moved to Kahawa Wendani in 1994 after the death of his father.

His mother, he said, sold fish to Kahawa Wendani residents for at least 20 years.

Voters who elected him in 2017, said they believed Omondi would solve their poor road network problems, unemployment among the youth, among other issues.

“He blends so well with everyone across the political and tribal divides,” a Kahawa Wendani voter told NTV on April 26, 2017.

“This is our son who has always taken care of everybody regardless their age,” said another resident.

After winning the party primaries on April 21, 2017, Omondi said empowering the youth would be his key agenda should he proceed to clinch the MCA seat, which he did.