Linda Okello, the police officer who gained widespread attention due to a viral photo of her in a form-fitting skirt, says the he experience was incredibly overwhelming.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Okello said her seniors frustrated her as the incident completely altered her life.
“I did not know that the photo was taken, when I found out I was so overwhelmed. I received many phone calls, my bosses read about it and I was summoned for possible punishment because I was 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 actually get someone to defend me,” she said.
Following the investigation, they determined that her skirt was not inappropriate for the workplace.
“I had been wearing it for seven years, my bosses saw me in that skirt before. They saw me in that uniform in the morning during the debrief before going for that 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,” she said.
Linda said she was subsequently transferred to Molo; “When I was transferred to Molo, it was published everywhere and my information was leaked, it was so specific even the duties I was assigned. People in Molo would come looking for me to see this Linda and her body, it followed me everywhere,” she recounted.
Currently working as a behavior therapist in the United States, Linda reminisced about how unwanted attention and sudden fame brought troubles to her life.
“I felt let down especially by my fellow women, if they could have protected me, it could not have gotten that far. Remember I was in traffic and every time I would stop a vehicle, I would hear whispers which was very uncomfortable and made my job a bit difficult,” she narrated.
“People saw me as a sex object, even my bosses started seeing me as a socialite. I was not given the opportunity to defend myself or share the implication of the action and that’s why I went to court,” Linda said.
