Omanga reveals why she turned down Ruto’s Nairobi Rivers Commission job offer
By Mustafa Juma, April 8, 2026Former nominated senator Millicent Omanga has publicly explained why she declined a government job offer under President William Ruto.
Speaking on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, during an interview with a local radio station, Omanga claimed the role conflicted with her principles and would have involved actions harmful to ordinary Kenyans.
She disclosed that she had been offered a position at the Nairobi Rivers Commission but chose to reject it after scrutinising its mandate.
Omanga linked the commission’s work to ongoing demolitions in Nairobi, including the clearing of informal settlements and markets.
“Kama Kazi alinipa, Kazi ambayo ilikuwa ni ya kuwaumiza wakenya, na mimi Kazi hiyo nilikataa. Alinipa Kazi pale Nairobi Rivers Commission, nikaangalia mandate ya hiyo Kazi vizuri. Ile Kazi, Kazi yake ilikuwa zile vitu mnaona zikiendelea sasa kama ubomoaji wa masoko, na nyumba,” Omanga said.
She argued that such operations disproportionately affect low-income Kenyans, raising questions about fairness and inclusivity in development initiatives.
Criticism of Affordable Housing
The former senator, who is now eyeing the Nairobi Woman Representative seat on a Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) ticket, also took aim at the government’s Affordable Housing Programme, accusing it of failing to live up to its promise of providing low-cost homes.
“Alafu cha kuchekesha ni hivi, unabomoa manyumba ya wale watu maskini alafu unakuja kujenga nyumba zako za affordable housing, ambazo sio affordable tena. Zinauzwa na commercial rates. Zile nyumba ni utapeli mtupu kwa sababu zinauzwa at commercial rates,” she said.
Omanga claimed that the houses are being sold at commercial rates despite being built on land provided by county governments and funded partly through mandatory deductions from workers’ salaries.
“Itakuwaje shamba ni bure… wafanyakazi wanakatwa pesa za housing, na nyumba zikiisha bado zinauzwa kwa commercial rates? Sasa hizo pesa zinaenda wapi?” she posed.
Her remarks raise fresh concerns about transparency and accountability in the housing programme, which has been a flagship initiative of President Ruto’s administration.
Omanga’s fallout with Ruto
Omanga has previously accused President Ruto of betraying key promises made to women.
Her accusations came just days after she defected from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) associated with Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Saturday, March 28, 2026, Omanga claimed that commitments made under a women’s charter ahead of the 2022 General Election were never honoured, describing them as political pledges designed purely to win votes.
Omanga revealed that the charter, signed in the presence of the media, allegedly guaranteed a 50-50 gender representation in government, a commitment she says has not been fulfilled.
“We had a women’s charter which was signed, and the media was there. During the women’s charter, because I was on the forefront, the president signed and agreed that it will be 50/50 sharing in his government in terms of gender. Not even two-thirds; it was 50/50 for him,” Omanga said.
She further alleged that the head of state had pledged free sanitary towels for girls in public schools and additional maternal support programmes, which she claims have since been abandoned.
The outspoken politician-cum-businesswoman also criticised the scrapping of key social programmes, including the Linda Mama initiative introduced during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
According to Omanga, the removal of such programs has negatively affected women, particularly those relying on public healthcare services.
She also pointed to unfulfilled pledges such as the provision of free diapers for new mothers, arguing that the gap between promises and delivery has fuelled public frustration.
“He signed again that every girl in public schools would get free sanitary towels, something which we are not seeing now. Another thing was that women delivering in public hospitals would get free diapers for six months. Instead, he went ahead to remove Linda Mama, and during Uhuru’s time we had the Linda Mama scheme where our women would go to hospitals and give birth for free because it is a natural process,” she said.
“All those things were removed, and we came to realise that whatever we signed was just for election purposes.”