Kenya At Its Best

Kenya may be a small country in the continent of Africa. However in the world of pageantry, it made sure it gets distinguished on the winners map. Well, not only that it holds the record of the only African titleholder in the Miss Earth history courtesy of Winfred Omwakwe in 2002, Kenya made a remarkable achievement of a back to back finals placement in 2016 Miss World and Miss Universe pageants. Oh, did I say that Misses Kenya are the last African woman standing in both pageants?

Whilst Kenya was introduced to the Big Four (4) pageants in as early as 1960 (Miss World) it's annual representation have been on and off. But the recent back-to-back placement of Misess Kenya is a blunt warning from them that in the next few years, Misses Kenya would be a force to reckon with.

Let's take a look at history as to how Kenya fared in the Big Four pageants from the get-go. The order is based on the highest placement a Miss Kenya has ever achieved in Big Four pageants.

Miss Earth 2002 Winfred Omwakwe

Among the Big Four pageants, it's only in Miss Earth that Kenya consistently sends out a representative. Since its inception in 2001, Kenya only missed representation in 2008 and 2013. As to its highest placement thus far? Oh, it's the take-over win of Winfred Omwakwe from the dethroned winner Dzejla Glavovic from Bosnia Herzegovina. While technically tied with Tanzania's Miriam Odemba (Miss Earth Air 2008) in terms of highest placement for Africa in Miss Earth, her assumption of the crown, title and responsibilities from the dethroned winner made her as the only Miss Kenya to hold a Big Four title and the only African titleholder in the history of Miss Earth.

Miss Kenya International 2015 (2nd Runner Up) Eunice Onyango

Kenya only managed to send three representatives to the pageant since it started in 1960. It debuted in 2006, missed the following years and returned in 2010. It skipped the succeeding four years thereafter and came back with a bang in 2015. Eunice Onyango's almost-skin-head appeal gave the mestiza frontrunners a run for their money. Eunice set a record of the highest placement from Kenya in the Miss International pageant as Second Runner Up and by far the highest placement for Africa since Tunisia's Ibticem Lahmar's First Runner Up win in Miss International 1996. Considering Miss International's alleged discriminatory standard in choosing its winners - with no African titleholder in 56 years -- the organization must have seen something different in Onyango or Kenya for that matter which made her the only African representative to achieve a Top 5 placement in the new millenium.

Miss World Kenya 2016 (4th Runner Up) Evelyn Njambi Thungu

Whilst African beauties always do good in the Miss World stage -- or perhaps because of the Miss World platform perceived to be favoring candidates from third-world countries -- Miss World Kenya 2016 Evelyn Thungu gave a stellar performance alongside frontrunner Catriona Gray from the Philippines. As a matter of fact, prior to Puerto Rico's Stephanie Del Valle announcement as the eventual winner, it was with Thungu that pageant fans saw a threat to Gray for the crown.  

As to its placement history in Miss World, Kenya first sent its first representative in 1960. However, it was only in 1984 that a Miss Kenya placed in the Top 15 courtesy of Khadija Adam Ismail who was also conferred the Continental Queen for Africa title.  It also emerged as Continental Queen for the years 1988, 1990, and of course in 2016.

Miss Universe Kenya 2016 (Top 6) Mary Esther Were

Kenya first sent Susan Waruguru Kahumba as its first representative to the Miss Universe pageant in 1987. It skipped representation for a number of years, but  in those years where there was a representative, a Miss Kenya was hardly noticeable. Oh, not in the case of Evelyn Were who would have advanced to Top Three and eventually snagged the title of Miss Universe 2016 alongside Haiti's Raquel Pellisier had she not buckled during the question and answer portion in the Top 6. She was asked a very challenging question, a politically-flavored one which is always critical and again challenging considering the twenty-second time allowance. On a personal note, she was able to pull off a very good answer which should have qualified her in the Top 3. 

Overall, Misses Kenya have shown a promising improvement in their performances in the Big Four pageants. They are starting to make their presence felt. If their now-you-see-me-now-you-don't representation gets addressed by their national franchise-holders, the world won't be surprised if another Big Four pageant crown would be put into their representative's head.