First-ever woman cop with a PhD appointed police spokesperson

The National Police Service has made changes at the office of the police spokesperson, in which Bruno Shioso was promoted to head the National Police Service Training Campus in Kiganjo.

She earned her PhD in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York (CUNY), US, under the CUNY Graduate Centre Doctorate Fellowship.

Dr Onyango also has a Master of Science degree in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania, which she earned through a scholarship.

“Getting these kinds of scholarships is not easy, but one must keep trying. Persistence and patience definitely pay off. Once you get the scholarship, you have to pass the exams, which calls for a lot of hard work,” she said in a recent interview with Nation.

The senior police officer earned her first degree in Education from Moi Univerisity before she joined the NPS in 2003.

During her graduation from the National Police Service Training Campus in Kiganjo, she was named the best female recruit.

For her exemplary performance, she was awarded the Cane of Honor by the late former President Mwai Kibaki.

Before she was appointed police spokesperson, Resila previously served as a Senior Superintendent of Police and Deputy Director of Planning at the Office of the Inspector General of Police.

Dr Resila Atieno Onyango with her lecturers at the City University of New York

In addition, Dr Onyango has worked as a criminal intelligence officer at the Interpol East Africa regional bureau. The region comprises Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.

Her academic research work has focused more on comparative criminology and criminal justice, gender issues in policing and peace support operations, crimes against hildren, and terrorism within East Africa.

Resila has taught Criminal Justice both at John Jay College of Criminal Justice USA and locally at the USIU-Africa.

She is also invited regularly in her capacity as a Criminal Justice Expert to speak at Drexel University, USA.