Muslim contestant breaks barriers to feature at Miss World Kenya competition

Bahsan Abdirahman, 20, always harboured the dream of participating in the Miss World Kenya competition but was not sure if the organisers would be open to accepting a Muslim participant.

When she came across a call for applications to join the contest on Instagram in June, she decided to give it a try. She was motivated by her long-held dream to participate in the event.

Initially, Bahsan doubted about her chances of being accepted. But her concerns were quickly dispelled when she received an invitation to attend an audition. The invitation came as a surprise and she was filled with excitement.

Despite her excitement, Bahsan faced an obstacle that nearly prevented her from participating in the auditions. She was required to pay a Sh3,000 registration fee which she could not afford. This caused her significant stress. She reached out to friends and family for help, but none were able to assist.

"I had already submitted my application, but I knew I was not going to be invited to the auditions since I did not pay the registration fee," she said.

To her surprise, two weeks later, she received a call from one of the organisers inviting her to the auditions at the Two Rivers Mall, located on Limuru Road in Ruaka, Nairobi. The call came as a relief and rekindled her hopes of pursuing her dream.

When she arrived for the auditions, Bahsan found herself among 150 other contestants, all vying for a spot in the main event.

Once again, self-doubt crept in as she looked around at the other participants, many of whom she believed had more experience than her. Some had even participated in previous Miss World Kenya competitions.

During the auditions, Bahsan was asked to demonstrate her cat-walking skills and answer some questions, among them why she wanted to participate in the competition. "After my audition, I felt hopeless. I knew this was beyond me and I would not be picked," she said.

As the auditions came to an end, it was time to announce the names of those who had qualified. But Bahsan's name was not among the first group or even the second batch to be called out.

Her anxiety grew as the list continued to be read out, and she feared she had missed her chance.

But to her surprise, her name was called out last. Bahsan was overjoyed. Although the announcer mispronounced her name, it did not matter to her. She had finally secured a place in the event she had always dreamt of.

"Every model in this country dreams and prays for this kind of event, and I was there knowing I was part of those who would participate. I was so excited and overwhelmed," she said.

Out of the 150 participants, only 40 qualified, and Bahsan was the only Muslim woman among them. Her qualification marked the beginning of a month-long boot camp where contestants were trained on various aspects of pageantry, including cat-walking techniques and how to answer questions confidently.

This was Bahsan's first experience with pageantry, and despite the challenges she faced, she gained confidence with each passing day.

However, it was not a walk in the park at the boot camp. The stakes were high, and anyone who did not meet the expectations in learning how to cat-walk and other lessons was sent home.

"At the boot camp, people were sent home not because they had a problem, but because they were not doing what they were supposed to do," Bahsan noted.

After a month of thorough training, Bahsan learned how to walk in high-heeled shoes, perform choreography, and build the confidence she needed to potentially be crowned Miss Kenya 2024.

But before reaching the finals, there was one more test — a head-to-head challenge to ensure only the best contestants advanced. During this challenge, each participant was asked to name their "beauty of purpose", an initiative they supported or were passionate about.

Bahsan's beauty of purpose was her work with organisations to deliver foodstuffs to children's homes.

Following her successful completion of the boot camp, Bahsan went for dress fittings in preparation for the final event. Each contestant was allowed three outfits: a dress, a dinner gown, and a traditional dress, all of which were provided by the event managers.

August 3 was the day of the final competition. As Bahsan prepared to go, her mother and siblings encouraged her: "Go Bahsan, you can do it, bring the crown home."

The excitement was palpable as participants arrived, all eager to give their best.

After each performance, contestants would return to the backstage to change outfits, where they were greeted by the support and encouragement of their friends and family.

For Bahsan, however, the experience was different. She had no one there to support her. Without the presence of friends or family to cheer her on, she relied on her inner strength to keep herself motivated.

Despite not winning the crown, Bahsan learned valuable lessons from the experience. As a Muslim woman, she came to realise that her hijab was not an obstacle and that she could achieve her dreams.

The journey has inspired her to continue participating in similar events, with the hope of one day winning the title of Miss World Kenya.