THE INAUGURAL EDITION of Mister Rwanda is getting better as the race for the crown continues to get tighter with just two weeks to go to the grand finale.
The organisers of the male pageant are now determined to succeed as they look to quickly push the contest towards its perfection.
Saturday’s pre-selection event at Kigali Serena Hotel showed some positive signs of flourishing as hundreds gathered to support their favorite contestants in an event that saw the 75 boys that passed the provincial auditions reduced to only 18 that booked their tickets to the boot camp and boost their chance of winning the crown for the contest’s very first time.
The venue was filled with revelers who sat in groups for them to put their voices together while supporting their favorite contestants from the very first minute of the contest.
With banners lifted aloft, a number of contestants could be filled with some sort of confidence as they saw people cheering them on while walking on stage as they hit the runway when the pre-selection show started a few minutes to 8pm.
Like the majority of the social events held in town over the past years, Mister Rwanda pre-selection event was no exception when it came to experiencing kick off delays as organisers were made to wait for people to turn up for the event to begin.
It was, nevertheless, a special occasion for household female DJ Ira to get everyone in the hall entertained before show hosts Khamiss Sango and Rebecca Umuhire called on the jury to their seats for them to decide who goes to the boot camp and who stays.
Before a panel of judges comprised of radio personality Aissa Cyiza, Chear Sebudebwe, and musician Jean Pierre Damien Nkurunziza, commonly known as 'Maji Maji’, contestants showed up for a series of runway in traditional and casual attire before each of them were presented before the jury for a Question-Answer session during which they would answer questions from the judges on various topics concerning society.
There were 15 tickets up for grabs to be able to make it to the boot camp as three contestants with highest number of votes were already guaranteed a place in the boot camp.
The three most voted who progressed to the boot camp include Yannick Cyusa Muhunde, Jules Maurice Ngabo and Hartman Kelly Nyirihirwe.
They were joined by 15 contestants who impressed the judges the most during the pre-selection including Yves Kayitaba, Cruise Kami, Patrick Mwemera Murego, Alain Norbert Kalisa, Patrick Ahimbazwe, Fabrice Brice Niyonagize and Richard Rwema Gihame, the lone contestant with disability making it to the boot camp.
Others include, Prince Ngaboyisonga, Hubert Ishimwe, musician Alex Mbaraga, Tresor Ruharambankiko, Derrick Rukundo, Salton Muheto, John Magnific Irutamageno and Moise Iradukunda.
Government on the look out
The Miss Rwanda chaos which followed the arrest of the pageant organiser Dieudonne Ishimwe, commonly known as Prince Kid, has left a lesson for the Ministry of Youth and Culture to savor.
The boot camp for the Mister Rwanda was, according to its schedule, expected to start just a day after the pre-selections but organisers were made to wait for at least a week as consultations with the Ministry on the content and lectures that should be offered during the camp continue.
"We chose to delay the boot camp as we consult the Ministry about the content that must be lectured during the boot camp. The finalists will, as a result, spend six days in the boot camp which we feel is enough for them and for us to identify who deserves the crown,” said Moses Byiringiro, the CEO of Imanzi Ltd that organises Mister Rwanda pageant, in an interview with The New Times.
The 18 finalists will head to the boot camp which starts next week, precisely from May 8-13 at a yet to be confirmed hotel located in Musanze District, Northern Province.
The winner of Mister Rwanda will be announced during the grand finale slated for May 14. Organisers have Kigali Serena Hotel tent and Kigali Convention Centre to choose from before they decide which of the two venues will host the grand finale.
Besides representing Rwanda in Mister Africa, the winner of Mister Rwanda 2022 will walk away with a car and a twelve-month apartment stay in one of the hotels located in Kigali.