Meet Kenya’s Youngest Female Cop to Command Final Parade

Kenyans were recently treated to a rare spectacle where a female police officer commanded the final parade ceremony presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In most cases, the final parades are usually commanded by a male officer with a higher rank in the police service but Inspector Sharon Ijeloit Oramisi broke the tradition.

Sharon who is a Direct Entry Inspector (DEIP) made into history books by commanding her 298 colleagues’ final parade on Wednesday, January 19, at the national police college main campus based in Kiganjo.

The inspector who holds a Bachelor’s of History and International Relations from Egerton University became the second woman in the history of Kenya police to command a final parade. Catherine Mugwe, a commissioner of police seconded to the United Nations (UN) peace keeping mission, became the first woman to command that parade in 2011.

Sharon’s display still remained one of a kind as she paved way for other budding law enforcement officers by becoming the youngest female police to command a final parade ceremony.

The young cop was born in Teso, in Busia county, before she decided to take a stab at joining the service. She successfully passed the recruitment exercise before she underwent nine months of mandatory training at Kiganjo Police Training College.

Sharon was picked based on how she delivered her commands with a lot of clarity and precision in the performance of parade drills.

Her outstanding delivery convinced Kiganjo College Chief Instructor Kenneth Kimani, Commissioner of Police, and Chief Inspector Lameck Njeru to bestow her the duty to command a parade presided by President Uhuru.

Sharon did not disappoint as she executed her duties diligently Impressing her bosses and even the head of state.

Speaking after successfully presiding over the onerous parade, Sharon noted that she honed her skills by watching previous YouTube videos and further sought guidance from her drill instructor.

She also explained that she also took long hours to sharpen her skills together with other police officers who graduated.

“The first time I was informed I would be the parade commander after a whole day of competitive exercise to pick the best candidate,” she stated.

She added, “It took courage to accept and deliver success on the assignment given,’ she said. ‘I knew I had the potential and I trusted my abilities but the thought of being the overall parade commander never crossed my mind.”

President Kenyatta also congratulated Sharon for her display during their one-on-one after the parade.