PHOTOS: Charity Mwangi, 22, crowned Miss Kenya 2015

Charity Mwangi, 22, was on Friday night declared Miss World Kenya 2015 in an event that attracted Kenya’s top models.

The beauty, who represented Kiambu County, beat nine other contestants to clinch the much coveted crown and the car and cash that came with it.

Kajiado County’s Margaret Muchemi was first runners up, while Murang’a County’s Olive Waithera clinched the second runners up award, rounding up the top three.

In a sensational affair held at the Weston hotel in Nairobi, the competition saw awe-inspiring performances by jazz maestro Hellon Joseph and legendary Jamaican reggae family, Morgan Heritage, whose Kenyan visit is still on.

Ten models representing respective finalist counties in the competition took their second stab at the national accolade by taking to the stage with utmost aplomb, all hopeful of victory.

The county beauty queens looked stunning, their height elevated by jaw-dropping heels and the cultural wear of their respective counties seriously on point.

They later changed into contemporary African wear before softly killing the judges and audiences with their evening gowns.

It was in these body-hugging attires that they presented their scorecards as they rallied to impress the adjudicators who were to confirm them Kenya’s ultimate beauty queen who will represent the country in the global beauty gala, which will be held later in 2015 in China.

The finalists presented a report of their performance and activities during the year of their reign as County beauty queens, an act that marks a paradigm shift from past pageants where contestants pitched what they intended to do and/or achieve if chosen.

This, according to Terry Mungai – the Miss World Kenya franchise holder, would give an opportunity to adequately bake the winner for efficient and adept representation of the country on a global platform.

“This year we made changes to the order of crowning its beauty queens as many other competing nations of the world where the queen is chosen a year in advance to give ample time and opportunity for further training and exposure before they compete at the international stage,” Mungai said.

Charity Mwangi, a Kenyatta University student in Agriculture Resource, said she had in her period of representation embarked on a personal project christened “Mtoto Aishi Initiative” which aims to educate mothers, househelps and caregivers so as to prevent infant death in domestic accidents.

Recounting the incident which made her champion the campaign, she said: “We lost a child close to my family due to choking on a bean.”

Beauty with a purpose

Beauty with a purpose coronet, which comes with a cash prize of Sh50, 000 went to Miss Narok, Nabaya Ntete, who cycled long distance on a bicycle to get medical assistance for an ailing person in her home area.

Charity Mwangi succeeds Ms Idah Nguma who shone brightly in last year’s Miss World competition after she emerged seventh in the contest – an achievement Kenya had not seen in more than a decade.

“I’m excited to have won. I am aware these are big shoes to fill and I will do my best to live up to the standard and represent my country well,” Mwangi expressed.

Miss World Kenya pageant celebrated 50 years of existence in the 2015 edition of the contest.

At the gala, a panel of experts picks models with a combination of winning qualities which would give them an edge over other world competitors as opposed to popular votes by members of the public.

Here are photos of Miss World Kenya 2015, Charity Mwangi: