Miss Grand Kenya

For the most recent edition, see Miss Grand Kenya 2024.
Miss Grand Kenya
Formation31 August 2024 (2024-08-31)
FounderTanveen Onyango
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersNairobi
Location
Official language
English
National director
Tanveen Onyango (2024)
Parent organization
  • Beauties of Africa Inc. (2013)
  • Miss Kenya (2015)
  • The Drop Models Kenya (2024)
AffiliationsMiss Grand International

Miss Grand Kenya is a national female beauty pageant in Kenya, established in 2024 by Tanveen Onyango, chairperson of The Drop Models Kenya modeling school, to select the country’s representatives for the Miss Grand International pageant.[1] Prior to the creation of this formal national competition, all Kenyan representatives were appointed,[2][3][4][5] the first being Pauline Akwacha, a national finalist of Miss World Kenya 2012, who was designated by Beauties of Africa Inc., under the direction of Andy Abulime, to compete at the inaugural Miss Grand International in Thailand in 2013.[2]

Kenya’s only placement at Miss Grand International occurred in 2020, when Irene Ng’endo advanced to the top twenty finalists.[6]

History

Since its inception of Miss Grand International, Kenya has participated intermittently in the pageant. In 2013, Pauline Akwacha, a Nairobi-based model and Miss World Kenya 2012 finalist, was selected by Beauties of Africa Inc., under Andy Abulime, to represent the country at the inaugural edition in Thailand,[2] but she did not place.[7]

After a hiatus, Tony Chirah, director of Miss Kenya, held the title as a supplementary award in the 2014 national pageant, and the candidate was sent to the 2015 international event,[8] while no Kenyan representatives competed from 2016 to 2019. In 2020, Irene Mukii, winner of Miss Africa 2019, acquired the license and appointed herself to compete in Thailand,[4][9] reaching the top twenty finalists.[6]

In 2024, the first standalone Miss Grand Kenya pageant was held,[10] and Magdalene Takangiro was crowned;[11][12][13] however, she is currently ineligible for the 2025 international edition, as the national license has not yet been renewed.[1]

Edition

Location and date

The following is the competition detail of the Miss Grand Kenya pageant, held as a stand-alone pageant only once in 2024.[10][14]

Edition Date Final venue Entrants Ref.
1st[a] 31 August 2024 Delight Africa Hall, Nairobi
9
 [15]
Notes
  1. ^ The pageant occurred without a license from MGI PCL to the local organizer, The Drop Models Kenya, headed by Tanveen Onyango.[1]

Competition result

Edition Winner Runners-up Ref.
First Second
1st Magdelene Takangiro[a]
(Rift Valley – North) 		Purity Khabukwi
(Coast) 		Joy Awiti Favour
(Central) 		[16]
Notes
  1. ^ Even though the winner of Miss Grand Kenya 2024 was expected to participate in the Miss Grand International 2024, the Kenyan organization later announced their representative would only compete internationally in 2025,[1] but withdrew due to no national license purchased.[1]

International competition

The following is a list of Kenyan representatives at the Miss Grand International contest.

Color keys
  •   : Declared as the winner
  •   : Ended as a runner-up (Top 5)
  •   : Ended as a finalist (Top 10)
  •   : Ended as a semifinalist (Top 20/21)
  •   : Ended as special awards winner
Year Miss Grand Kenya Title Placement Special Awards National Director
2025 Magdalene Takangiro[17] Miss Grand Kenya 2024[1] Did not complete Tanveen Onyango[1]
Did not compete between 2021-2024
2020 Irene Ng'endo[4][18] Miss Africa 2019[19] Top 20[6] Irene Ng'endo[9]
Did not compete between 2016-2019
2015 Elaine Mwangi[3][20] Miss Grand Kenya 2015[i][3] Unplaced[21] Tony Chirah[8]
Did not compete in 2014
2013 Pauline Akwacha[2] Top 10 finalist Miss World Kenya 2012[2] Unplaced[7] Andy Abulime[2]
Note
  1. ^ Supplementary title at the Miss Kenya 2015 pageant.

Participating national finalists

The following list is the national finalists of the Miss Grand Kenya pageant and the competition results.

Represented 1st
Central
Coast
Eastern Y
Nairobi Y
North Eastern Y
Nyanza Y
Rift Valley-North
Rift Valley-South Y
Western Y
Total 9
Color keys
  •    : Declared as the winner
  •    : Ended as a 1st runner-up
  •    : Ended as a 2nd runner-up
  •  A  : Ended as a finalist, semifinalist (N) and unplaced (Y)
  •  ×  : Ended as withdrew during the competition
  •  ×  : Ended as no representative

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Miss Grand Kenya License Faces Uncertainly Amid Magdalene Takangiro's Shift to Modeling". Fashion Brunet. May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Maureen Odiwuor (2014). "Beauty Beyond Skin". The Standard. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ a b c Stevens Muendo (2015). "Miss University beauty queen fails to impress at Miss Kenya Earth". Tha Standard. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Arniel C. Serato (March 4, 2021). "Two Miss Grand International candidates test positive for COVID-19" (in Tagalog). Philippines Entertainment Portal. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ Justin Coulibaly (March 5, 2021). "Miss Grand Kenya et celle du Nigeria testées positives au Coronavirus". www.afrik.com (in French). Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ^ a b c "Samantha Bernardo makes it to Top 20 of Miss Grand International!". GMA Network. March 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ a b Harry Rodríguez (November 18, 2013). "Janelee Chaparro se corona Miss Grand International 2013". www.metro.pr (in Spanish). Retrieved February 8, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ a b Elly Gitau (June 21, 2015). "Miss Kenya franchise to plant 10 million trees". The Star. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ a b "2 candidates of Miss Grand International test positive for coronavirus". ABS-CBN. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ^ a b "Miss Grand Kenya Gala Night". event.talksasa.com. 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ^ Alejandro Basulto (November 18, 2024). "Emilia Dides tiene nuevo desafío: todo lo que tienes que saber sobre el Miss Grand Internacional 2025". ADN Radio Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved May 2, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ^ "Qué es el Miss Grand Internacional, el nuevo certamen de belleza en el que participará Emilia Dides" [What is Miss Grand International, the new beauty pageant in which Emilia Dides will participate?]. T13 (in Spanish). November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ^ "Your top 3: Miss Grand Kenya - Magdalene Takangiro, Miss Grand Kenya 1st Runner-up - Purity Khabukwi and Miss Grand Kenya 2nd Runner-up - Joy Favour". Miss Grand Kenya. September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. ^ "Miss Grand Kenya 2024 candidates". africavotes.com. August 20, 2024. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ @missgrand.kenya; (September 1, 2024). "Your top 3: Miss Grand Kenya - Magdalene Takangiro, Miss Grand Kenya 1st Runner-up - Purity Khabukwi and Miss Grand Kenya 2nd Runner-up - Joy Favour". Retrieved September 1, 2024 – via Instagram.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ^ "Miss Grand Kenya – Magdelene Takangiro". Miss Grand Kenya. September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ^ Alejandro Basulto (November 18, 2024). "Emilia Dides tiene nuevo desafío: todo lo que tienes que saber sobre el Miss Grand Internacional 2025" [Emilia Dides has a new challenge: everything you need to know about Miss Grand International 2025]. ADN Radio Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved December 29, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ^ "ส่งเสริมความร่วมมือด้านการท่องเที่ยวผ่านการสร้างความตระหนักรู้ระหว่างกัน / Tourism promotion through mutually awareness raising" (in Thai). Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi. February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. ^ Ada Wodu (December 28, 2019). "Kenyan, Irene Mukii, crowned Miss Africa 2019". The Punch. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ^ Steven Kisuli Muendo (2016). "Former beauty queen beaten". Tha Standard. Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. ^ "Lệ Quyên bất ngờ "trắng tay" tại Miss Grand International 2015". Dantri.com.vn (in Vietnamese). October 26, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
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