National Police Service Spokesperson Dr. Resila Onyango has advised women to have confidence in themselves so as to excel just as their male counterparts.
In an interview with Capital FM, Dr Resila, who is the first police woman to attain a PhD, said women will only excel if they have confidence in their abilities.
“There are opportunities in the country and do not look at yourself as a woman and start to pity yourself. It is about competency and I tell our brothers that just give us the chance and the opportunity to prove ourselves,” she said, “Women can do well as well as males just give them a chance.”
Dr Resila is among women interviewed by Capital FM to commemorate International Women’s Month.
She urged young girls, especially those in the village to remain focused on the career they choose to pursue to the fullest extent possible and to understand that, with competence and diligence, they will realize their aspirations.
“I urge the little girls in the village to know that the future is bright and whichever career they chose to go whether joining police or any other career, they should know they have a bright future,” he said.
Dr Resila was named National Police Service Spokesperson, replacing Bruno Shioso who was promoted to be the Commandant of the National Police Service Training college in Kiganjo.
She is the second woman to ascend to the spokesperson’s position at the Police Service after Zipporah Mboroki who served in 2014.
Previously, Dr Resila worked as a Criminal Intelligence officer with Interpol at the regional bureau of East Africa.
Prior to her promotion, Dr Resila – a Senior Superintendent, obtained a Doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, USA in 2021 and was serving as the Deputy Director of Planning at the Office of the Inspector General of Police.
She holds a PhD in Crimínal Justice from the Graduate Center /John Jay College of Crimínal Justice – The City University of New York (CUNY), USA under the CUNY Graduate Centre Doctorate Fellowship.
Besides holding one of the most active jobs in the police service, she has the enviable distinction of donning a PhD in a profession known less for academic excellence than its crude tactics of enforcing the law.
Additionally, Onyango is the first female police officer, in the history of the National Police Service, to earn a doctorate degree.
Her academic achievement has been good PR for the police force which was seen as a dumping ground for academic failures.
Onyango is a recipient of various international awards, including the PEO International Peace Scholarship and the Margaret McNamara Educatíon Grant- 2016, the Graduate Center-CUNY Doctoral Fellowship: 2013-2018, Dr James Fyfe Fellow- 2016 and the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program- 2009-2010.
