Irene Ng’endo Mukii Is Miss Africa

Miss Kenya, Irene Ng’endo Mukii, in the early hours of yesterday, won the 2019 Miss Africa beauty pageant organised by the Cross River State government.

The Kenya-born Mukii, who is a mathematics and computer science student of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, beat 21 other contestants at the beauty pageant held in CICC, Calabar. Miss Angola, Daniel Lopes and Miss South Africa, Ethel Meimela, emerged second and third respectively at the pageant.

In his keynote address at the pageant, the Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, said humanity is the only religion the world needs to embrace and the society should pull down all the shackles of inhumanity in the society.

He said God created man to add value to society and it is wrong for humans to fashion out a way for free movement of goods and simultaneously restrict the free movement of people.

“None of us has the luxury of knowing where he was before he was born or where he is going after death, all we know is that we live, and for today that we live, let us live for humanity.

“Let us put an end to the restriction of human movement and then allow the free movement of goods. I plead with the world that we should put an end to the control of human movement.

“Why should the man who produces cocoa in Ikom in Cross River State not be free to go to Switzerland for instance whereas the cocoa he produces gets down there.

“God created for a purpose which is to bring value to the society as well as humanity. Humanity is the only religion that the world should embrace and once humanity becomes a religion we will as a people collectively rise above life’s vicissitudes. Humanity is insensitive to religion because with humanity we can always provide a shoulder for one another to lean on,” the governor said.

He expressed confidence that the young models from Africa will help spread this message of humanity to the world so as to bridge the gulf that currently separates peoples and societies.

Also speaking Senator Florence Ita Giwa said she is proud of the models because they all have what it takes to change the narrative about Africa and called for humane coexistence among peoples across the world so as to make the society a better place.

The peak of the event featured performance by Victoria Kimani, Patoranking and Star Plus.