Beauty king and queen of Moi varsity

The much-anticipated Mr and Miss Moi University beauty pageant was full of thrills and frills, writes STEVENS MUENDO

The university social hall was jam-packed as anxious students watched with bated breath the contestants strutting on the well-lit catwalk.

As the night progressed, a black beauty known to other students as Lencer Adhiambo sauntered on stage singing Celine Dion’s To Love You More to a receptive crowd. Her melodious vocals swept through the night as she charmed the crowd.

There had been many more thrilling performances by other contestants before her but she was a cut above the rest. And the fans responded to her cooing vocals with shouts and appreciation. And as she bowed out, she burst into tears when the audience gave her a standing ovation for her heart-warming performance.

Fair and comely

Before she made her way back to the changing room, the judges had reached the verdict and declared her the fairest of them all — Miss Moi University — and the auditorium burst in ululation.

Lost for words, Lencer tried to fight back tears as she gathered herself together and blew a kiss to the crowd.

Three days earlier, a stranger allegedly tried to scare her out of the contest as fierce rivalry and backstabbing hit feverpitch.

WINNERS: The newly crowned Miss Moi University Lency Adhiambo and Mr University Ken Ogeto recieving their accolades.

But she is not faint hearted. The 21-year-old Sociology student had remained focused to lift the coveted crown.

"It was tough. I had been discouraged throughout the audition process and I almost gave up," she said.

And to share the joy of the night was Andrew Ogeto, a second year Engineering student who beat nine other contestants to lift the prestigious Mr Moi University crown.

Brain and Brawn

Unlike Lencer, winning a beauty pageant has been one of Ogeto’s dreams since he was in high school.

"I have always wanted to win such a crown but I did not have the guts until this year when I decided to face my fears and join the competition. I am full of jubilation. The crown means a lot to me," Ogeto told Pulse.

To his confession, the newly crowned Mr Moi University spent over Sh20,000 in buying and hiring new clothes for the different categories that the panel of judges was awarding that night.

"I have set my eyes on the Mr University Kenya crown and I’m now looking for a professional trainer who can help me perfect my act before the big day," he explained.

It was a galore of beauty as the finalists graced the podium with finesse and discerning agility in the fully packed venue where students from different departments faced each other in a dramatic exhilarating showdown as each championed one of their own for the win.

As early as 7pm that Friday night, anticipation built up around the Moi University main campus as celebrated musicians drove in style.

From fast-rising stand-up comedian Eric Omondi, MTV award-winner Nameless and Sauti Sol, the celebrities got treated to a near fanatic reception.

top acts

With a good mix of music by DJ Catwill building the tempo, Omondi’s now popular stage Lingala signature tune went live sending the mammoth crowd into a frenzy — the party was on!

"Hawayu," with laughable wit, petite Omondi arrived on stage.

There were performances by campus talents Ram G, Alpacino and GKV who rocked the crowd with their singles before Nameless stepped in.

Sauti Sol won great admiration from the crowd with a rousing show, with their new runway hit single Someni.

Energetic performance

But Nameless was the star of the night. The organisers spared him for the last, and he didn’t disappoint.

With an energetic stage presence ,Nameless raised the roof with Ninanoki, Hot Stepper, Salari and Sunshine as the crowd sang and danced along.

Additional information by Karanja Kamanda