Esther Chepkosgei Seroney made headlines after she emerged as the only woman shortlisted to replace ex-Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti.
Seroney's nomination sparked curiosity among Kenyans about her and even with her next-to-zero presence on social media, some have begun rallying for her to be named the first-ever woman DCI Director.
Kenyans.co.ke went on a fact-finding mission on the little-known cop and how he rose through the ranks to be a heartbeat away from a plum job.
Career
According to a post published by the DCI on Monday, October 10, Seroney is currently the Bomet County Police Commander (CPC). She initially served in the same position in Homa Bay County.
The cop was among seven women who were appointed on January 21, 2019, by former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett as county commanders following the convergence of the various police departments.
"These are the officers appointed county commanders to the Nyanza region. As you can see, they are a mixture of officers from the Administration Police, DCI and Kenya Police Service," Boinett stated.
Before her promotion, she was the head of the investigating agency in Homa Bay in 2018. She also served as the Busia County Criminal Investigations officer in 2017.
Seroney survived the rigorous vetting of National Police Service officers in 2014 that assessed the suitability and competence of high-ranking officers. At the time, she was a Senior Superintendent (SSP) deployed to Murang'a County.
Academic Qualifications
Unknown to the public Seroney has a background in nursing, having attended the Ortum School of Nursing between 1983 and 1986.
She enrolled at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) training school in Nairobi where she took a certificate course in law enforcement in 2002.
Seroney later attended the Government Training Institute, a training institution replaced by the Kenya School of Government, for a certificate in Middle Management Course in 2004.
The county commander then enrolled for a certificate of prosecution course at the CID school. She advanced her education at Kenyatta University where she undertook a Diploma in Security Management and Police Studies.
The DCI candidate is a holder of a bachelor's Degree in Security Science and Management from Kenyatta University (2019).
Milestones
During her tenure as Homa Bay CPC, she was part of the team that launched the Child Protection Unit amid rising cases of child abuse in the county.
Seroney, who hails from Elgeto Marakwet County will face it off with nine other shortlisted candidates including Amin Ibrahim, Bernard Barasa, Eliud Lagat Gideon Munga, Esther Seroney, David Birech, Jonyo Wiso, Nicholas Kamwende, Paul Ndambuki, and Dr. Simon Wanderi.
