Roshanara is like a daughter to me - The truth about Terry and her beauty queens

 Terry Mungai has invested a big chunk of her life to the Miss World Pageants Photo: footprintspress.com

Pageants have been Terry Mungai’s passion for as long as she can remember. In a separate interview about a decade ago, the Miss Kenya franchise holder was almost in tears when she told me how she was losing money but really wanted to help the beauties get a better life.

Fast forward to 2016. Early this month, news broke that the newly-crowned Miss World Kenya Roshanara Ebrahim had been dethroned. For those who follow pageantry, the first dethroning happened when Terry was the Miss Tourism franchise holder and Sheila Kwamboka was the reigning Miss Tourism. Terry sold off the franchise soon after Sheila was relieved of her crown.

In the wake of this latest scandal, I arrange for a sit down with Terry. When I arrive at the Ashleys head offi ce (Terry is the founder and CEO of Ashleys Kenya – a hair and beauty enterprise) I find that it is tastefully done. Very posh, a far cry from the town office I once frequented years back. I guess God has been good, Terry as I recall is a believer.

Terry is busy but makes time to speak to me. She knows why I have come calling and goes straight to the point. “I’m sad about the turn of events,” she sighs, sharing confidential e-mails and correspondence that led to Roshanara’s de- throning. It is not pretty. Given the nature of the allegations against the former Miss Kenya, I’m curious to know why she is vowing to fight the dethroning.

Terry’s shoulders drop. “I honestly don’t know, maybe she is being misused. I love the girl, she has given this crown her best but the circumstances as you can see are too damning,” she says. Terry clarifies that the dethroning has nothing to do with rumours that she was dating a married man. “I defended her against those because I felt they were far- fetched,” she says.

 Roshanara Ebrahims was stripped of her crown last month

Pageant rules are very strict. There must be full disclosure from the girls. But do these young girls read and understand the rules? Terry says that they do but may be too naïve to understand their full implications.

“The crown demands integrity,” she says. “Everything else is secondary.”  But in the past, Terry’s own integrity has been called into question.

She has been accused of open favouritism and high-handedness. In fact, some are calling her a tribalist for replacing Roshanara with Evelyne Njambi, who is from Kiambu County. But Terry says that history will stand her in good stead for remaining true to her calling. She is adamant that all she wants is for young girls to be dedicated to her ‘beauty with a purpose’ slogan for at least the one year that they are queen.

“I cannot jeopardise the entire pageant just to protect one girl; Roshanara can take lemons and turn them into lemonades. She can educate others about choices and consequences.”

And as Roshanara contemplates a future without her crown, Evelyne Njambi will now step into the limelight as the new Miss World Kenya representative. The competition is slated for December in Washington DC and Terry is optimistic that she will do just as well.

 Terry poses with the new crown holder Miss Evelyn Njambi

Will Terry reveal the damning evidence that led to young Roshanara’s dethroning?

“No! She is like a daughter to me, why ruin her further?” she asks.

Meanwhile, Roshanara has threatened to sue for wrongful dethroning. She says Terry was not supportive of her crown. And while Terry is not about to quit the beauty business, she is grooming her daughter to take over the reins.