Gachagua Made Phone Call for Me to Be Fired - Trevor Ombija Claims

Journalist Trevor Ombija now claims that Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua is behind his apparent woes at Royal Media Services (RMS), citing ethnic bias and fallout from a heated on-air interview. 

Ombija has been a senior news anchor at the RMS-owned Citizen TV for over eight years until recently, when he became a no-show on air.

While meeting Mama Ida Odinga recently, Ombija, who is eyeing the Nyakach MP seat in the 2027 general election on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket, suggested that all was not well, saying "life has been serving lemons lately."

He later offered context for his statement during a meeting with Nyakach constituents on Friday, September 18.

Ombija revealed that he had not had it easy at his workplace, blaming Gachagua for it.

Speaking to the constituents, Ombija suggested that the fallout stemmed from a television interview in March this year in which he pressed Gachagua over his record and challenged inaccuracies in his claims against President William Ruto, an exchange Gachagua allegedly interpreted as bias against him.

"Gachagua made calls to have me dismissed from my job simply because we clashed and because I am Luo, and that RMS is not our company," Ombija said. 

He claimed the attempt to have him removed from his role at Royal Media Services (RMS) was ethnically motivated, crediting Ruto with shielding him and his colleagues from the alleged pressure at the time.

Ombija suggested Ruto's supposed gesture was his decision to support his re-election as president.

"So we were being fired because of that, and it's only Ruto who stood with us. Shouldn't we be in the two-term then?" he posed to the gathering.

It remains unclear whether Ombija was eventually let go from his role, as he has been off air for some time and has since turned to openly campaigning for the president.

Ombija said his continued support for Ruto's re-election was rooted in conviction rather than political posturing.

He argued that the Kenya Kwanza administration's achievements have been overshadowed in media coverage by an outsized focus on its shortcomings.

"That is why I stand steadfast with the president because I know the agenda he has; I am not for propaganda," he said.

Ombija joins a growing list of Citizen TV personalities eyeing elective seats ahead of 2027.

Senior political reporter Stephen Letoo is reportedly eyeing the Kilgoris parliamentary seat, while John Wanyama has already resigned from the station to pursue his ambitions for the Malava seat.

The trend has drawn scrutiny from the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), which in May outlined new guidelines for journalists declaring political interest.

MCK chief executive officer David Omwoyo confirmed the council was finalising rules expected to include mandatory resignation timelines and immediate suspension from on-air duties, such as hosting, anchoring and reporting, for any journalist who declares political ambition.

The council also directed newsrooms to maintain fair and balanced coverage of all candidates, with no preferential treatment for former colleagues entering political races, and said it would hold a validation workshop with editorial leadership to refine and gazette the guidelines within 30 days of the announcement.