Now residing in the United States of America and working as a behaviour therapist, Okello recalled the unsolicited attention and fame that thrust her into the spotlight. Speaking during an interview on Citizen Digital, Okello recounted that on the day the photo was taken, she was on duty and on the phone with her former supervisor. At the time, she was receiving instructions on how to effectively coordinate the Safari Rally event she had been assigned to oversee. “I worked with the police force for 16 years before quitting and silently leaving the country for the United States of America,’ she narrated. I never intended to be a police officer; my dream job was to be an air hostess. I can say it was not my desired job, but I grew to love it along the way,” Okello added. According to the former police officer, she did not know that the photo was taken. When she found out, she was overwhelmed as she received countless calls. When her former bosses came across the same, she was summoned for possible punishment on the grounds of being scantily dressed. “I was accused of not wearing a police uniform. It was deemed that I had done something that is against the police code, and you couldn’t believe someone had to defend me,” she said. Following an investigation, authorities concluded that she was not inappropriately dressed for work. Okello further revealed that she had been wearing the same skirt for seven years, and even her bosses had seen her in the skirt before. On the day that the photo was taken, Okello pointed out that her bosses had seen her in that uniform in the morning during the debrief before going for her assignment. “I was frustrated by my bosses because of the photo; they thought I was talking to the media, but that was not the case because I rejected all the media interviews,” Okello explained. However, her ordeal did not end there. She was subsequently transferred to Molo, a decision she reluctantly accepted since she was expected to work anywhere in the country. “When I was transferred to Molo, it was published everywhere, and my information was leaked, down to the specific duties I was assigned. People in Molo would come looking for me just to see ‘Linda and her body.’ It followed me everywhere,” she said. According to her, she felt let down, especially by her fellow women arguing had they protected her, the situation would not have escalated to where it got to. Okello believed that the photograph had altered how people perceived her and her career, impacting her future prospects within the police force. “I was promoted when I was really young, five years into the service, and then I was suddenly pulled down. I tried to apply for promotions unsuccessfully. I felt frustrated, so I decided to seek greener pastures abroad, and I am doing well and happy with myself,” she said. In 2014, Linda Okello sued a local media house for publishing the controversial photo and was awarded KSH 6.5 million in damages. She accused the media house of improperly degrading her by the improper sharing of her image and likeness and the use of her image for commercial gain and publicity. “People saw me as a toy, and even my bosses started seeing me as a socialite. I was not given the opportunity to defend myself or share the implications of the action, and that’s why I went to court,” she said. BY TUKO NEWS