Miss World Kenya 2021 beauty pageant launched

Cabinet Administrative Secretary Ministry of Public Service, Rachael Shebesh (left) and CEO Ashleys Kenya Terry Mungai during the launch of Miss World Kenya 2021 at the Trademark Hotel on July 1, 2021 [David Gichuru, Standard]

The 30th edition of The Miss World Kenya Competition will take place on August 28 at The Trademark Hotel. The event, which did not take place last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, will be televised live as a reality TV show.

This was announced yesterday morning by Ashleys CEO and Franchise Director of The Mr and Miss World Kenya Terry Mungai, at a morning event held at The Trademark Hotel to mark the launch of the pageant.

“Although we notably skipped the event last year due to the pandemic, we are proud to announce that this year, we are back bigger and better than we have ever been before,” said Mrs Mungai.

“We hope to once again make our mark in the global map as has been the case in the previous years with beauty queens”.

Public Service and Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh, who has also partnered with the franchise for the event, was chief guest yesterday.

“In honour of Wangari Maathai’s 10th anniversary, the franchise is going green this year. Going green means embracing a way of life that enables us to conserve the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling items. We have committed to plant more than 3,000 trees,” said Mungai. She added: “We are further excited to partner with CAS Shebesh for our Beauty With a Purpose project, in a bid to break the stigma surrounding mental health illness.”

Ms Shebesh currently hosts a show, Shebesh Speaks, which raises awareness on mental health issues, and discourages social stigma attached to the disease.

“I speak about my illness as a survivor and not a victim,” she said.

Shebesh has not shied away from speaking out about her experience living with bipolar disorder.

“We are here to champion the course that is mental illness. We cannot ignore that there has been a rise in mental health cases during this pandemic period. It is okay not to be okay. Ni sawa kukosa kuwa sawa,” said the CAS.

The event was also attended by Wavinya Maria, the reigning Miss World Kenya, who finished sixth in The Miss World Competition held in London in 2019. Mr World Kenya, Frank Asoyo, was also in attendance.

“I always knew that my reign as Miss World Kenya would be like no other. I am grateful for the opportunity to have raised the Kenyan flag high as well as advocate for ending period poverty and providing sanitary towels in different counties in the country. It was an impactful experience,” said Ms Wavinya.

The global event is set to take place in December in Puerto Rico. This will mark the event’s 70th anniversary.