Long-serving Director of Public Communications, Ms. Monica Omoro has retired from the Civil Service, bringing to a close a 40-year career across multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Ms. Omoro officially retired on December 29, 2025. She joined public service at the age of 19 after training at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, where she graduated with a Diploma in Journalism in 1987.
She began her career as a News Reporter with the Kenya News Agency (KNA), serving in Mariakani, Mombasa and Kilifi counties for 18 years.
She later worked in public communication, public relations, and press units across several ministries, departments, and agencies.
Ms. Omoro’s portfolio covered several key government institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the then Ministry of National Heritage and Culture, and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
Also she worked in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Planning (Uwezo Fund Oversight), the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
She also served at the Multi-Agency Command Centre on COVID-19, the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, the State Department for Correctional Services, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, and the Ministry of Sports, Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, among other public institutions.
In 2024, Ms Omoro was recalled to serve as Director of Public Communications at the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, where she served as the only substantive holder of the position under the existing scheme of service.
During her tenure, she was involved in communication processes related to several pieces of legislation and policies, including the Heroes and Heroines Act (2014), the Water Act (2016), the Data Protection Act (2019), the National Water Policy, the Water Sector Reform Communication Policy and the Government Communication Strategy (2024–2027).
She also participated in the final stages of the Draft National Communication Policy.
As Director, Ms. Omoro oversaw staffing of more than 160 Public Communication Officers and 215 Public Communication Assistants.
Additionally, she was involved in reforms that reviewed promotion requirements within the public communication cadre, allowing Assistant Directors of Public Communication to qualify for Director positions.
Notably, the changes are expected to inform the planned recruitment of 25 Directors of Public Communications in early 2026 by the Public Service Commission of Kenya.
Further, Ms. Omoro also participated in processes that informed guidance on budgetary allocations for public communication across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, under the leadership of the Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Steven Isaboke, and the former Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, now Advisor to the President, Prof. Edward Waswa Kisiang’ani.
Currently, the outgoing Director holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication and Media Studies from the University of Nairobi.
She equally served as an Alternate Director representing the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications at the Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board and previously at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
Following her retirement, Ms. Omoro plans to engage as an Individual Communication Specialist, providing consultancy services in communication strategy design and implementation, training, media coverage, monitoring and evaluation, website development and programme communication support.
By Naif Rashid
