It is one year and a month since the decision was made on May 9 to temporarily suspend the annual beauty pageant, Miss Rwanda. Since then, there have been questions about the future of the competition and the way forward.
Speaking to The New Times, Robert Mosezera, the Director General of Rwanda Culture Heritage Academy (RCHA), explained that there is currently no specified timeframe for the resumption of the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant.
“We have been prioritising the implementation of the four projects: Miss Rwanda 2022, Miss Talent, Miss Innovation, and the payment of prizes for all the top 10 contestants from various sponsors,” he said.
Regarding the next organiser of the competition, he mentioned that they have not reached that stage yet, as the former organiser, Rwanda Inspiration Backup, was dismissed from organising it.
Commenting on the future of the pageant for the coming years, Masozera emphasized, “The incident that occurred in 2022 involving the former organizers and managers of the Miss Rwanda pageant has tarnished the image of the Miss Rwanda pageant,” adding that “the decision to resume the competition will have to take all that into account, as well as the lessons learned.”
Masozera further added that once a decision is made regarding the future of the competition, it will be communicated to the general public.
The annual beauty pageant was suspended a few days after the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) initiated an investigation into the case of the CEO of Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the organiser of the competition. The investigation was launched due to allegations of sexual abuse involving Miss Rwanda contestants.
Later on, he was acquitted by the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court. However, the prosecution appealed against the decision, and the ruling on the appeal verdict is scheduled for June 30.
