The Miss Rwanda 2022 auditions held during the past weekend has seen 18 contestants qualified, including nine who got the jury’s nod during Sunday auditions in Rubavu and progressed to the next stages of the beauty contest as Western Province representatives. Held at Gorilla Hotel in Rubavu town, the auditions started a few minutes past 1pm, an hour earlier than Musanze auditions, as organisers tried to improve time management and avoid some delays made in Musanze. The Rubavu auditions were anticipated to attract a bigger number of aspirants compared to Saturday’s show in Musanze but, to the surprise of organizers, only 34, from a possible 54 who registered, turned up vying for a dream spot to represent Western Province, while 20 missed out. Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) duo Martina Abera and Sam Kalisa co-hosted Sunday auditions again while James Munyaneza, Evelyne Umurerwa and Jolly Mutesi remained on the unchanged panel which will assume the role during the entire provincial auditions campaign. There auditions were shaped by a mixture of moments varying from contestants’ impressive projects and elegance to the jury’s mixed reactions on contestants’ presentations that sparked excitement, on one hand, and disappointment, on the other hand. Every member of the jury was, for instance, blown away by the beauty of Divine Muheto Nshuti, recalling the moment Naomie Nishimwe’s photos got social media excited even before she passed Kigali auditions until she was crowned Miss Rwanda 2020. Like Nishimwe, Muheto is already making headlines with many convinced that her beauty played a big part in securing a PASS despite not impressing the judges. Another notable moment was the time a contestant identified as Jeanine Niyigena looked unimpressed after she managed only a YES and two NOs from the jury. She failed to win the vote confidence from the judges who felt her project, which seeks to make ecofriendly brick charcoal out of garbage, was not worth a nod. After the question-answer session that took more than four hours, only nine contestants impressed the jury the most and were able to make it to the next stage of Miss Rwanda 2022. They include Sandrine Umubyeyi, Nadia Isaro, Stella Matutina Murekatete, Marie Merci Kazeneza, Amelia Mwiza, Jessica Muringa, Maolithia Keza, Peggy Uwajeneza and Divine Muheto Nshuti. They join Adelaide Ishimwe Muhayimpundu, Leslie Manzi Mutavu, Vanessa Nshuti, Ariane Bagiriteto, Mignonne Uwase, Dianah Umutoniwase, Raissa Cyiza, Emmanuella Kaberuka and Ghislaine Mugisha Igiraneza who passed Musanze auditions to represent the Northern Province. The auditions will resume next weekend with the search for Southern Province representatives slated in shifting to Huye on Saturday, February 5, before closing upcountry auditions the following day in Kayonza from which the jury will pick contestants who will represent Eastern Province.
