Karen Nyamu: I almost became Miss Kenya

 Karen Nyamu [Facebook]

At first glance, Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu looks like a model of some sort. Her height, elegant smile and other physical features would easily pass for the runway.

On Tuesday, the legislator reminisced when she was scouted for Miss Kenya and how ready she was for the task.

She hoped she would bag the crown and even undertook modelling lessons before her dad ‘intervened’.

However, her dreams were quickly extinguished when she was asked to choose between a career in law and strutting down the catwalk.

“When in Law school I was scouted for Miss Kenya beauty contest. Because of my height and bust waist hips coordinates, @chriskirwa and team were convinced they had found that year’s winner.

“I took some modelling lessons where I learnt to walk as I twist my hips like this. Eventually, Mr Nyamu told me to choose between school and nonsense…Mboka ikazima hivo,” she said.

Some of her followers also recalled how their parents talked them out of their childhood dreams, in typical African nature.

Kiria: I wanted to be a chef mamangu akaniuliza kutoka apike before atuzae kama naonanga akililipwa end month 

Amolo: Mimi niliambiwa kuwa chef si degree na modeling si kazi but we still walk like we were taught 

Kairetu: Mimi niliambiwa kuwa model nitakuwa drug addict especially i was to reside in new york. nikaambiwa niende home nikasaidie kuvuna hiyo season mboka ikazima hivo tu

Unlike Nyamu, another Kenyan politician once had a successful stint as a model and was runner-up Miss Kenya in the early 90s.

Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris, in a previous interview with KTN, said she could not pursue it as a career because it was just a phase.

“I think there is a phase in life that you go through and when I went for the Miss World contest that was it.

“You have to move on,” she said.

 Esther Passaris [Courtesy]