Eric Omondi sets record straight on paybill set up for Ojwang's family

Comedian and activist Eric Omondi has come out to set the record straight on why he set up a new paybill account for the family of Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody, under mysterious circumstances.

Speaking on Nation FM, Omondi said that many Kenyans were sending their contributions, and the phone numbers belonging to Ojwang’s parents and wife always hit daily limits, and this prompted them to look for a paybill number.

He said the signatories for the paybill are Ojwang’s mother, his wife and an uncle, since the father has no Identity Card.

“Of all the cases I have done, this is the one that shocked me. Six minutes after I posted, the phone could not receive any more money. It was full. I gave the wife's number, it got full, the mother's was the same.

“We go to Upperhill, open a paybill with three signatories, the mother, the wife and the uncle, because the father didn’t have an ID, then I give Kenyans. We raised a lot of money, I still want to balance the books with the family, but I know how much it is,” the comedian said.

He explained that in his Sisi kwa Sisi drives, the principle is that money has to be sent directly to the victim or an immediate family member.  

“There was another paybill number. The issue with that is it did not have an immediate family member, and to protect Sisi kwa Sisi, our principle is that the money through us must go directly to the family, Meshack or the mother.”

Omondi said that he had been approached to use the paybill number instead of using mobile numbers that have daily limits, but he decided to do his due diligence.

He then discovered that none of Ojwang’s immediate family members were signatories to the account, and for accountability purposes, he declined to use it.

“When I was approached, I did due diligence to know whose it was. It took us the whole day. The way paybill works, people send to their holding account linked, and there was no family member. I told them I respect the committee and how you do things, you have to respect how I do things for the future. One day I will be asked to account,” Omondi said.

The move to decline to use the other paybill number had raised questions as to why, with a section of Kenyans accusing him of trying to con the family.

The comedian, however, noted that he continues to learn from these.

He added that there are ongoing issues in Ojwang’s family, which are sensitive, and he hopes they can be resolved quickly.

“They are still mourning, and a lot is going on within the family that we pray and hope they will sort out.”