Meet Kenya's first female police pilot Eunice Jevuline Anyango Dobby

Eunice Jevuline Anyango Dobby, is a professional Pilot with a Commercial Pilots License (CPL), a police officer with the National Police Service and a member of the International Police Association.

Dobby was among the first women to join the Police Airwing in 1999. She had given up an opportunity to study Pharmacy at Jomo Kenyatta University which wasn’t received well by her relatives.

"I detested ending up being unemployed like my elder sister and brother who had earlier graduated from Egerton University and Kenyatta University respectively but had remained jobless. Given this scenario, I opted for the police training since it had an assurance of immediate employment. Apparently, all my friends and most of my relatives disapproved my decision. Today, I look back with a sense of accomplishment that indeed I made the right choice," she said in a past interview.

Kenya's first female police pilot Eunice Dobby Pulse Live Kenya

“I was one of the ladies found suitable to join the formation. I, however, had to wait for two years before joining the Oxford Aviation College in Texas, the US to train as a pilot after a competitive selection process," the pilot added.

As soon as Dobby got back into the country as a professional pilot in 2003, she was put in charge of flights operations at the Kenya Police Airwing and quickly became a pilot in charge.

“My tasks included search and rescue missions, casualty evacuation, and communication flights, among others. These I’m able to accomplish by means of visual references flying, or reference to aircraft instrument flying in all weather conditions.

“In recognition for the service I have and continues to render to this great nation, I was awarded the “Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya medal (OGW)” during the occasion of the 2018 Jamuhuri Day celebration,” she stated.

Despite giving up an opportunity to study Pharmacy, the pilot later enrolled for a Bachelor of Commerce degree at UoN where graduated in 2008.

Meet Kenya's first female police pilot Eunice Jevuline Anyango Dobby, Pulse Live Kenya

Three years later, she was awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from JKUAT With this came a promotion to join the Personnel Directorate of the Kenya Police Service.

Dobby is currently doing another masters degree at the National Defence University.

“I am looking forward to proudly wearing the badge of honour as a National Defense College graduate and an alumnus with Master of Arts in International Studies.”

Her career has not been a smooth ride. It has been characterized by various challenges such as working during odd hours and in emergency situations including holidays. Further, operational demands could also be stressful.