Omaruru is known for its annual festival where the Herero people commemorate their past local chiefs, its winery, and for the dinosaur footprints at nearby Otjihaenamparero.

[9] Omaruru Reformed Church, the local congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) was separated from that in Otjiwarongo on March 1, 1941, and included Omaruru, Karibib, Usakos, Kalkfeld, Swakopmund, and Walvis Bay as ward centers.

Over the years, six congregations were in turn spun off from the Omaruru one, but the overall numbers were usually sparse given the predominantly ethnic German demographics of the local white population.

At its founding, the congregation covered an area of approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi), both north to south and east to west.

[11] SWAPO also was the strongest party in the 2015 local authority elections, winning four seats in the town council and gaining 1117 votes.

[12] In the 2020 local authority election SWAPO won again over each individual opposition party but lost the majority of seats in the city council.