On a cool August evening in Nairobi, the air around Kibera—Kenya’s largest informal settlement—buzzed with anticipation. Hundreds gathered, their eyes fixed on a makeshift catwalk, where a young woman glided under spotlights in a delicate white dress. But this was no ordinary pageant attire: her dress was splattered with fake blood, and tape covered her lips, boldly inscribed with the words, "Stop, silence, gender-based violence." It was a visual protest that set the tone for the annual "Mr and Ms Kibera" pageant, now in its 20th year.
According to reporting from Agence France-Presse, this event is far more than a celebration of physical beauty. For the youth of Kibera, it is a rare and powerful microphone—a chance to speak out against injustice, break cycles of poverty, and change the narrative about their community. In a place often defined by hardship, the catwalk becomes a stage for protest, hope, and transformation.
The pageant, gleefully attended by hundreds, has become a vital platform for expression and activism. Contestants don’t just compete in evening wear or talent segments; they use their time on stage to voice support for youth-led demonstrations, demand freedom of speech, and condemn gender-based violence. As one contestant’s tank top declared simply: "Stop killing us." In recent years, these messages have carried extra urgency. Kenya has been rocked by waves of anti-government protests—most recently in June and July 2025—that have left 65 people dead. Rights groups have accused the police of brutality, a longstanding issue in the country.
Gender-based violence remains a particularly pressing concern. Activists have labeled the ongoing crisis a "femicide," urging the government to take meaningful action. The pageant’s symbolic protests—like the blood-stained dress and taped lips—reflect the anger and grief of a community that has seen too many women’s lives cut short. As reported by Reuters, participants see their protest acts and speeches as just as important to the contest as their appearance.
But the "Mr and Ms Kibera" pageant is also a celebration of resilience and potential. Many residents of Kibera still lack access to clean water and regular electricity, and opportunities to escape poverty and violence are few and far between. The pageant, which began two decades ago, was designed to offer young people a chance to step out of these cycles and show the world what they can achieve.
Founder Ben Ooko, who has shepherded the event from its earliest days, is passionate about its mission. "Many people don't see anything positive coming from a slum," Ooko told the Associated Press. "Yet, there are hidden gems in our community just waiting to be discovered." For Ooko, the pageant is about more than crowns and sashes. It's about teaching participants to express themselves in public and build self-confidence—skills that can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. "We are looking at young people who are able to stand up and speak for the challenges of other young people," he added.
The transformative power of the pageant is perhaps best illustrated by its alumni. Twenty years ago, Kepha Ngito became the first-ever Mr Kibera. Thanks in part to a scholarship he earned through the contest, Ngito was able to move off the streets and pursue an education. Today, he is a development consultant, but he never forgets his roots. Ngito still returns to Kibera, working with young people who, as he puts it, are stuck in an "environment of indignity." For Ngito, the pageant is a way to demonstrate the potential that exists in even the most overlooked corners of society. "We want to show the world that we have our own definition of beauty and that definition is resilience," he said in an interview with Reuters.
Other former contestants have also gone on to make a tangible difference. Pauline Akiniyi, who competed in 2016, has since opened a women’s shelter in Kibera. Her work offers a lifeline to women escaping violence—a cause that is never far from the minds of those involved in the pageant. These stories of former participants underscore the event’s impact, turning pageant platforms into springboards for social change.
The 2025 edition of Mr and Ms Kibera culminated in the crowning of 21-year-old nursing student Rozelda Kim. For Kim, the victory is not simply a personal triumph but a call to action. "It's not just a beauty pageant... It's a microphone to speak louder," she told the BBC. Kim plans to use her new platform to help her community and to challenge the negative stereotypes that often cling to Kibera. "Your social background doesn't define you," she said, a sentiment echoed by many in the audience that night.
The event’s significance extends beyond the boundaries of Kibera. In a country where marginalized communities are often ignored or stigmatized, the pageant forces outsiders to confront uncomfortable realities—and to recognize the strength and creativity that exist in places like Kibera. As the crowd cheered and the spotlights faded, it was clear that the pageant had once again succeeded in its mission: to give the voiceless a stage, and to remind everyone watching that beauty, in Kibera, means resilience, courage, and the willingness to speak out.
The annual event also arrives at a time when Kenya is grappling with broader questions about democracy, human rights, and the role of young people in shaping the nation’s future. The recent protests—sparked by frustrations over governance and economic hardship—have highlighted both the dangers faced by activists and the urgent need for platforms where youth can safely express dissent. The pageant, in its own way, provides such a space.
For many, the hope is that the messages broadcast from the Kibera stage will ripple outward, inspiring change not just in the slums of Nairobi but across Kenya. As Ben Ooko and his team look ahead to the next twenty years, they are determined to keep the spotlight shining on the hidden gems of their community. After all, as the new Ms Kibera put it, "It's a microphone to speak louder." And in a world where so many voices go unheard, that microphone has never been more needed.
