Former M-Net Face of Africa, Diana Nekoye Sifuna is a hot potato. The top fashion model has hit the world catwalk stage with her original beauty made from her mother's hearth in Bukusu. She came close to winning Miss Bikini International 2010 pageant losing to Thailand's Thanjira Prapahan with Tartastan's Elena Iskakova coming in as 2nd run up.

Born in 1982 8th December in Nairobi Upperhill to Mrs Rosemary Wasike and Mr Simiyu Abiud Wasike of Kimilili Bungoma District, Khayanga Wasike is the 9th born in a family of 12 siblings (two brothers and 10 sisters). Raised in a humble Christian setting with parents who were involved in church activities (mother was a member of the All Saints Mothers Union and Webuye St Michael's Parish Mothers' Union) while the father was a staunch Anglican. This background quickly influenced Khayanga and her sister Ivy who joined the All Saints Cathedral Alfajiri choir in the year 2003. However she had to stop signing when she relocated to work at Moi University in Eldoret.

While she has been crowned with the Miss Commonwealth title to improve the quality of life globally, she believes charity begins at home and is very grateful for to her parents for nurturing her community involvement activities.

In Endebess area in Mt Elgon, Khayanga saw her parents dig a well for their home use ,however people round had to walk for long distance to fetch water and so Mr and Miss Wasike let the nearby population fetch water from this well ,making it more of a community well. This spirit of sharing and assisting the underprivileged was quickly passed on and she endeavored to help by joining the Kenya Scouts Association, Jamhuri Rover crew here she found people with similar interests (promoting quality of life globally) meanwhile her sister Ivy joined the Kenya Girl Guides Association which also aims at promoting quality of life for the girl child and women across the world.

Under the Kenya Scouts Khayanga assisted in mentoring young teenagers and youths during camps and other activities held at Rowallan camp, its through this that she was elected assistant Rover crew in the Jamhuri rover crew, the Jamhuri Rover crew also watched out for the environmental challenges and planted trees under the Total eco challenge project and they won the bronze award in 2003, however she had to step down again after relocating to Moi University in Eldoret as a member of staff.

On the side of creativity and fashion, Khayanga was a finalist of ford supermodel search in 2002 with lyndsey McIntyre of Surazuri. Today with her new crown.Khayanga believes in Kenyans and Africans as a whole and is targeting development in Endebess area in Mt Elgon and interiors of Mayanja in Kimilili, she believes this areas need basic necessities like clean drinking water and this can be availed by digging bow holes instead of the locals having to walk for mile to fetch water in the river.

Meanwhile on the international scene, Khayanga is working with the other beauty queens under the commonwealth countries and Friends of the Commonwealth to promote quality of life by empowering children, youth and women because she believes this are the key determiners of development within a country, continent and globally.

Just how does she intended do this. She believes knowledge and information is power and therefore she plans to work with existing channels to promote philanthropic issues and where the channels are nonexistent they shall be created. On beauty and fashion she believes that beauty is synonymous with women and she w ants to promote beauty for philanthropic purporses, just like football clubs for men, women believe in beauty pageants, fashion and design shows, beauty magazines like Vogue and True Love, you name it! and salons and that’s is why the beauty and cosmetics industry is the third leading in the world.

Khayanga Doreen Wasike 28 was on 30th October 2010 crowned Miss Commonwealth International – Africa, at a pompous Commonwealth International Cultural and Charity Evening TV- Special Showcase (CICCETSS) ceremony held at the Milton Keynes’ Stantonbury Campus Theatre beating a bevy of beauties drawn from various countries to the title. Doreen is from the Bamoyayo clan while her mother is from Basombi clan.

Dec 14 2009
Miss Gibraltar, Kaiane Aldorino, has won the coveted crown as Miss World 2009, triumphing out of 112 beautiful and talented young women in the 59th Miss World Final from Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, City of Gold. Ksenia Sukhinova crowned her successor.

Is the Leso or kanga the runaway favourite fashion item for East African women? These beauties on the left certainly think so or look it. The Tanzanian duo were modelling during the Swahili Fashion Week in Dar es Salaam on November 5, 2009.

By Hannah Strange, Aug 23 2009
In Venezuela, beauty pageants are big business. In the country's many beauty schools, vast sums of money are spent on training and transforming hopefuls with an almost military dedication. On Sunday night, that effort paid off once again as Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe, assuming the title from her compatriot Dayana Mendoza to add to the country's record of the most international pageant wins in history. The triumph of Ms Fernandez, who is 5ft 10in and aged 18, makes Venezuela the first country to win the title two years running and takes the beauty-obsessed Latin American nation to within touching distance of its next pageant goal - to take the record for the most Miss Universe victories from the US, which is one title ahead. More...

By our reporter, Aug 21 2009
Winfred Adah Omwakwe from Bunyore is the only Kenyan woman to have won a major world beauty pageant. She was crowned Miss Earth 2002 dislodging the reigning queen, Dzejla Glavovic of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Miss Winnie as she is popularly known, is the first black representative and first from the African region to hold the Miss Earth title. She is also the first woman from Kenya to hold a major international beauty pageant title when she formally succeeded Džejla Glavović of Bosnia & Herzegovina as Miss Earth 2002. Glavović was stripped of her title for failing to fulfill her duties. She has previously been crown Miss Toursim Kenya and was runner-up in Miss Universe Kenya representative in 2002. She is a physio by training having graduated from the Institute of Health Care Management in Nairobi. - From the editor: Do you know Winnie? What is she doing now? Email editor@abeingo.org

Miss Uganda UK 2009 winner is Maria Namiiro, 20 (left).

Miss Kenya UK 2007 winner is Caroline Nyakila, 25 (right)

Miss World 2009 will take place on Sat 12 Dec 2009 in Jo'burg, South Africa.

Details

2008: Vicky Njoki of Kenya (left)

2006: Brenda Akot of Uganda now a fashion designer (right)

Miss Kenya 2008 in Shanghai, China on the catwalk during the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant.

Twenty three years ago, Victoria Njau (above) was born to a Luo mother and a Kikuyu father, but only got a chance to be raised by her mother. She is a student at Texas University majoring in pre-med subjects biology and business administration and hopes to enrol in medical school..

GERMANY'S NEXT TOP MODEL WINNER 2009 IS ETHIOPIAN SARAH NURU, 19 (LEFT).

MISS UGANDA 2007 WINNER IS SERAH LUBOWA (RIGHT)

Striking the pose in seasonal colours

All pinky and wild

Sexy in an advert

YOUTH BEAUTY CORNER

Upcoming, Lynda Bulimo, 13

All coloured up, Lynda Bulimo in clay-like pose

Lynda Bulimo in reflective mood