From Missing 3 High-profile Jobs to Kenya's Attorney General: Dorcas Oduor

Dorcas Oduor made history when she was appointed and sworn in as the Attorney General, becoming the first Kenyan woman to occupy that position. 

Oduor, a Senior Counsel and a veteran prosecutor was nominated after President William Ruto reassigned the initial nominee, Rebecca Miano, to the tourism docket. 

At the time of her appointment, Oduor was the Secretary of Public Prosecutions and the Principal Deputy to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

She's worked in Public Prosecutions for over twenty years. She started her career as a State Counsel in 1991 and rose through the ranks to become the second-most senior officer at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

She holds a Master's degree in International Conflict Management and an LL. B Degree from the University of Nairobi alongside a Law Diploma from the Kenya School of Law. 

Her appointment as Attorney General was a huge milestone after she had unsuccessfully tried seeking other high-profile jobs within different arms of government and state agencies.

Below are some of the high-profile jobs she applied for but was not selected for:

Director of Public Prosecutions

In 2011, she applied and was shortlisted for the position of DPP. She went up against other candidates such as former Cabinet Secretary (CS) Keriako Tobiko, Nyamira Senator Okong'o Omogeni, and Justice Patrick Kiage.

Following the rigorous interview, Tobiko was appointed as DPP. He served until January 2018, when he resigned to take up a CS post in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration.

In March 2018, Oduor, who was serving as acting DPP, applied for the position and was shortlisted among other candidates, such as former IEBC commissioner Thomas Letangule and former National Intelligence Service senior director Noordin Haji among others.

Haji emerged successful after the interviews, marking the second time Oduor had missed the post.

Judge - High Court & Court of Appeal Judge

In 2022, she applied and was shortlisted for the positions of Judge of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. However, she did not succeed in both positions. 

Chairperson Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA)

During the grand coalition government led by the late retired President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Oduor sought to be the Chairperson of IPOA and was shortlisted. 

She was among three nominees whose names were submitted to Kibaki and Raila for consideration for the position. The other two candidates were Macharia Njeru and Kinuthia Wamwangi.

Njeru emerged successful, thus becoming the first IPOA chairperson.

The above instances showcase Oduor's resilience as she never gave up on applying for roles she was interested in. Kenyans hope she will exercise the same resilience as she now heads the State Law Office.