Eric Omondi, 42, is a Kenyan comedian and actor. He first made his public comedy debut on Churchill Show. Churchill Show is a stand-up comedy show, hosted by Daniel Ndambuki, which started airing on NTV in 2008. The comedian has had a successful career, bagging numerous endorsements and sold-out shows within East Africa and beyond.
Family
Omondi is the second-born in a family of four in Kisumu County. His younger brother, the late Fred Omondi, was also a successful comedian. He passed away early this year following a road accident that involved a PSV and a motorbike he was riding in.
At Fred’s funeral, he disclosed that he comes from a polygamous family and that his dad had 5 wives. Omondi’s late Father was a chief inspector and an OCS in Kisumu. His mother was the fourth wife. His other siblings, from the other wives, stay abroad and only come to visit. Joseph, his elder brother died tragically from drug abuse in 2018 and their last-born sister (Irene Omondi) is based in Germany.
He attended Kondele Primary School and then Kisumu Boys High School for his O-levels. His classmates include Babu Owino and Kenya 15s captain Andrew Amonde. He later joined Daystar University where he pursued a course in Mass Communication and Journalism.
Career Highlights
After a successful stay on Churchill, he left to do his show dubbed Hawayuni which aired on KTN. The show did not finish a season and attracted negative publicity for being unfunny and lacking creative direction. He also did somewhere in Africa, Untamed and Wife Material.
In 2020, his show Wife Material Season 1 climaxed with a wedding with Band Beca’s Carol. In 2021, wife Material season 2 had select socialite women from East Africa who would compete for his romantic attention. He would then disqualify them, one at a time, and honor the last woman standing with a promise of marriage. Season 2 was stopped after KFCB officers and DCI detectives arrested him for lacking a license and airing content that goes against public consumption.
Fun Facts About Eric
- Eric has won 3 African Entertainment Awards USA for ‘Best Comedian’ in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
- In March 2017, Omondi became the first Kenyan ever to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Falon.
- Omondi started his career with a brief stint as a news reporter for Nation TV before meeting Churchill (Daniel Ndambuki) in 2006.
- In his days as a student, Eric was a Christian Union (CU) leader at Daystar.
- Eric is an avid football fan and he is a die-hard fan supporter of Manchester United. He unwinds by playing football and enjoys pissing off Arsenal fans on social media.
Eric “The Activist”
Omondi has since expressed his interest in getting into politics. He is nowadays a voice for the voiceless and uses his platform for a greater cause, by highlighting the plight of the poor and crowdfunding on their behalf. He also adds his voice and opinions on political matters and stages demonstrations to call for unity and fairness.
In February 2023, Omondi was arrested alongside 16 other people, when they demonstrated against the high cost of living outside Parliament. They were charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly and were later released with cash bail of Ksh 10,000 each.
In April 2023, while in Kisumu, he joined demonstrators to protest the high cost of living. The majority were university students speaking against unemployment. They were confronted by anti-riot police who arrested the comedian and hurled tear gas canisters to disperse the peaceful protestors.
Networth and His Businesses
Khaligraph got into a feud with Eric, in 2023, for asking Kenyan musicians to up their game and get back into creating music worth international acclaim. Khaligraph blasted him for allegedly struggling in the comedy industry and losing his relevance to younger artists.
Eric Omondi then dared celebrities bragging about their wealth to flaunt their bank statements online. This is after Khaligraph claimed Cartoon Comedian and Crazy Kennar are more talented and richer than the Daystar University alumni.
“I cannot reveal my net worth because my family will be on my neck asking why I did not do this or that for them.
I am worth a lot, God has really blessed me. I work hard so I am surely reaping from it.”
Asked if his net worth is around Kshs 10 million, Eric responded, “10 million kwani mi ni Bien? Just know that I can sponsor and support Bien on his music and his household for the next 35 years.
I can also do the same for Khaligraph, and they wouldn’t have to work.”
In his many surprise antics, he made a grand entry during the Luo Festival brunch. The brunch that was held at the Moran Lounge (Kiambu Road), saw him land in a copter. During the brunch, Eric caused a stir by flying in a chopper that steered through trees and rested on a basketball pitch meters away from the main dais. This cemented his place as “The President of Comedy in Africa”.
He currently does parodies that he uploads on YouTube. We are yet to know what the next step in his career will be, but it’s going to be bigger.
