Oscar Sudi

Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi.

| Nation Media Group

Oscar Sudi: Brave soldier or just a paperless tiger?

What you need to know:

  • The lawmaker has never shied away from speaking his mind whenever he feels that the DP is being frustrated.
  • To his constituents, Mr Sudi is a philanthropist who has empowered many, but to his critics, he is a warmonger.

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, who is serving his second term in Parliament, has never been short of controversies whenever he is defending Deputy President William Ruto.

If he is not on the wrong side of the law with his toxic tongue, he is in trouble in court with his academic credentials as it emerged this week.

The lawmaker has never shied away from speaking his mind whenever he feels that the DP is being frustrated.

The man who has beaten the odds to rise from a matatu tout to an influential and wealthy politician, has made friends and enemies in his political journey.

To his constituents, Mr Sudi is a philanthropist who has empowered many, but to his critics, he is a warmonger, who preaches hatred.

For the better part of the last decade, his popularity was confined to the southern part of Eldoret town, where he worked as a tout on a neighbour’s matatus before venturing into car sales — and later diversifying his business portfolio into partnership with various influential individuals. 

Although his path to being a millionaire is not clear, his wealth has been the subject of gossip.

Political acrobat

His educational background, which is partly the subject of court case, also remains murky.

What is not in doubt is his generosity, which has made him popular in Eldoret town. 

Mr Sudi rose into political limelight in 2002 when he campaigned for David Koros for the Eldoret South parliamentary seat against Jesse Mais. Koros won the seat but Sudi shifted allegiance in 2007 to Peris Simam, accusing Mr Koros of abandoning allies.

The legislator, a renowned political acrobat, declared interest in Kapseret after Eldoret South was split into two — the other being Kesses.

When he became an MP in 2013, he remained a peripheral figure, until he joined a group of rebels opposed to DP Ruto.

The rebels were campaigning against the DP’s choice, Mr Aaron Cheruiyot, for the Kericho senatorial seat during a by-election after Mr Charles Keter joined the Cabinet. 

But Mr Sudi mended fences with Dr Ruto in time, to successfully defend his seat after he fought off attempts to deny him the Jubilee Party ticket.

Raw insults

His stature has risen within the DP’s camp for speaking boldly in defence of his master — and sometimes offensively.

His recent tirades against President Uhuru Kenyatta seem to have boosted his popularity and made him a darling to his supporters.

The President has become the main target of his attacks since the March 2018 handshake between him and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Mr Sudi has always spoken proudly of his past as a tout, reminding anyone who cares to listen how he rose from a humble background.

His brand of politics is markedly different. His broadsides, often laced with raw insults, are typically delivered outside Parliament. But, he maintains a deafening silence in the August House.

The MP has often told off those questioning his record of contributions in Parliament, saying he should be judged by his development record on the ground. 

"Those speaking a lot of English in parliament have done zero development in their constituencies and what the electorate want is development not a lot of English," said Mr Sudi.

Forgery case

The outspoken legislator is not new to controversy after he was charged in October 2016 with three counts of forging academic certificates while seeking clearance from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest the March 4, 2013 election.

According to the prosecution, the MP forged his diploma in business management certificate allegedly issued by the Kenya Institute of Management as well as a KCSE qualification reportedly issued by Highway High School. This week witnesses have indicated in court that the two certificates were forgeries, with Mr Sudi expected to give his side of the story.

Testifying before chief magistrate Felix Kombo, Ms Nabiki Kashu, who works at the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) said the code appearing on Mr Sudi’s certificate belongs to Parklands Secondary School — registered to Obaje Bob Onyango who sat for the 2006 KCSE exam.

Then the Kenya Institute of Management told the Anti-Corruption Court that the Kapsaret MP was never their student and that the diploma certificate belongs to Elkanah K. Kimutai, a former student of the institution.

But to those in the Tangatanga camp, Mr Sudi is a “brave soldier” who speaks his mind.

Another trending video has been that of Mr Sudi telling off — some say inciting people against — critics of the DP at the funeral of murdered athlete Agnes Tirop.

Mr Sudi has on several occasions insisted that he is not speaking on the behalf of DP Ruto despite their closeness.