Beauty queen in trouble for ‘wheelbarrow county’ slur
As curtains came down on the Miss Tourism Kenya competition, Bungoma County’s representative’s eligibility was cast in doubt after the county government denounced her.
A source told Nairobi News that a letter started doing rounds on a Bungoma Whatsapp group after Catherine Sabina – Miss Tourism Bungoma – referred to the county as a “wheelbarrow county” during an interview on a local TV station.
The letter stated that the county did not hold any competitions for Miss Tourism 2016 and any candidate purporting to be representing the county was an imposter.
Ms Sabina’s reported remark could have been in reference to an incident in last year when the Bungoma County made headlines after the county’s ministry of agriculture purchased 10 wheelbarrows at a total cost of Sh1.09 million.
GRAND FINALE
However, while speaking to Nairobi News on phone before the competition’s grand finale, the event’s national coordinator, Ms Rosemary Kawira, said she has not received the letter and has no knowledge of it.
“I am yet to the receive the letter and as we speak, Catherine Sabina, the Miss Bungoma County representative, will be compete with other 42 contestants in tonight’s (Saturday) final for the Miss Tourism Kenya title,” said Ms Kawira.
According to Ms Kawira, the Miss Tourism county editions are usually held by the county government or the private sector is outsourced to organize the event. In Bungoma, and other counties, the latter was the case this year.
“If the county is not able to organize the event, we engage someone from the private sector to hold the event. In such a scenario, our job is only to receive the candidate who emerges victorious,” Ms Kawira explained.
