Ex-USIU Lecturer Who Made Police History Replaces Bruno Shioso

The National Police Service (NPS) has appointed Dr Resila Atieno Onyango, PhD, as its new spokesperson, replacing Bruno Shioso.

The new changes made on Tuesday, November 8 also saw Shioso promoted to the National Police Service Training Campus commandant in Kiganjo.

Shioso will replace Japheth Koome who was nominated to the Inspector General of Police by President William Ruto and is currently undergoing vetting before being approved by Parliament.

Deputy commandant at the college Philip Ndolo was recalled to the police headquarters in the changes announced by acting IG, Noor Gabow.

Former National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson, Bruno Shioso. /FILE

Other changes include:

1. Central Regional Police Commander (RPC) Manase Musyoka was moved to Nairobi region in the same capacity. Musyoka replaced James Mugera who retired after attaining mandatory retirement age.
2. The new Central RPC will be Lydia Ligami while Paul Langat was posted to Western as the RPC to replace Peris Muthoni who retired from the service.
3. Catherine Mugwe was named as the staff officer training at police headquarters.

Gabow termed the changes as normal and aimed at boosting operations in the affected areas. Officials hinted at more changes from next month if Koome is approved as the new IG and at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) where the investigative agency boss, Mohamed Amin is still reorganizing the agency.

Dr Resila Atieno Onyango Profile

Dr Onyango was a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the Deputy Director of Planning at the Office of the Inspector General of Police. She is the first female police officer in the history of the NPS to earn a Doctorate degree.

Until August 2021 she was a Criminal Intelligence Officer on contract at the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). She graduated from Moi University with her first degree in Education before joining the NPS in 2003.

An Ivy League graduate, Dr Resila earned her PhD and MPhil in Criminal Justice from the Graduate Center /John Jay College of Criminal Justice-The City University of New York (CUNY), USA under the CUNY Graduate Center Doctorate Fellowship.

She also has a Master of Science degree in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, under the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program.

An expert in Policing, Peace, Conflict and Security, Dr Resila is a Military Observer who trained at the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre in Finland and a trained Sex Crimes Investigator at the International Law Enforcement Academy, Botswana.

“Under the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and the Peace Operations Training Institute, Dr Resila has carved a niche as a Certified and dependable Regional Facilitator for the ‘Integrated Mission Planning Course,’ a curriculum designed for the Military, Police and Civilian components,” noted the NPS in a statement on December 18, 2021.

An internationally recognized Criminal Justice expert, Dr Resila has taught Criminal Justice both at John Jay College of Criminal Justice USA and locally at the United States International University-Africa (USIU). She is also invited regularly in her capacity as a Criminal Justice Expert to speak at Drexel University, USA.

Her academic research work has focused more on Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice, Gender Issues in Policing and Peace Support Operations, Crimes against Children, and Terrorism within East Africa.

She underwent her initial police training at the then Kenya Police College Kiganjo in 2003 and emerged as the Best Overall Female Recruit which earned her the Cane of Honor awarded by the President.

She has served at the Public Relations Office at Kenya Police Headquarters in Nairobi County, Rift Valley Region and at the National Police Senior Staff College, Loresho.