The search for Rwanda’s first-ever Mister and Miss Elegancy ended over the weekend with the crowning of Chris Junior Rutagengwa and Nasra Umutoni as Rwanda’s Mister and Miss Elegancy 2016 respectively.

The colorful event took place on Saturday at Hôtel des Mille Collines by Kempinski in Kigali.

Dubbed ‘The Grand Final,’ the show started at 8pm, two hours after the scheduled time as the turn-up was still very low, forcing the organisers to wait a little longer for more people to trickle in.

Headquarters’ band entertained guests with some mellow jams until 8:15pm when MC Phil Peter came on stage to start the event.

The 20 finalists hit the runway four times showcasing traditional wear, beach wear and casual wear, among others.

Rwanda’s upcoming Pop-Rock female artiste, Weya Viatora, opened the show with a beautiful performance, followed by the Phantomz crew with ecstatic dance moves.

Tusker Project Fame 6 winner Hope Irakoze came on to thrill the crowd with his impressive vocals before the boy trio Active rounded off the evening’s performances.

Twenty contestants who reached the final were tested on different aspects like intelligence, grace, dignity, and beauty.

The judges also considered the height, catwalk, public speaking skills, confidence and creativity among others. In the end, Rutagengwa and Umutoni beat the rest to the crown.

"I am so happy for taking this crown. I promise to do much more with this title to make a difference in society and to be a role model to the young people,” noted Umutoni after being crowned Miss Elegancy Rwanda 2016.

Rutagengwa, on the other hand, said that he is going to use his title to reach out to the youth and to teach them how to explore and use their talents to address issues in their communities.

Norbert Byishimo and Christian Shema were first and second runners up, respectively, on the boy’s side while the girl’s side, d’Amour Uwase Rangira and Doreen Karake Umuhoza, were crowned first and second runners up, respectively.

Apart from the main titles, Mister and Miss Popularity were also crowned. Yvan Manzi and Albina Kirenga were crowned Mister and Miss Popularity.

The pageant is a platform to encourage young men and women to follow their dreams and hone their talent.

The organisers say the pageant aims at promoting the Rwandan culture, beauty and elegance as well as to foster unity among Rwandans in and outside the country.

The winners walked away with 500 Euros each and return tickets to Belgium.