The charity event organised by Miss Tourism Bungoma has been called off.
Ms Joyce Nasambu cancelled her event at the correctional facility on Friday, citing frustrations by the management.
The modeling event, which had been scheduled for Friday 28th October, 2022, was called off in the last minute despite the organising team mounting a run way and other preparations already finalised.
According to Ms Nasambu, she called off the event due to lack of transparency from the officer in charge, Inspector Nancy Adhiambo.
Speaking to this publication, the reigning Miss Tourism Kenya People’s Choice stated that she had agreed to honour all the agreement and adhere to all the required restrictions but doesn’t understand why the officer changed tone on the material day.
According to her, the institution management had partially allowed a media coverage but under special condition that whatever goes out there to the public is first shared with the management for protocol purposes.
However, on the material day, Ms Nancy barred the media, prompting the beauty queen to question the motive of such a last-minute change.
“I always want to serve the community in a very transparent way and that’s where the media comes in,” said the trained teacher by profession.
“This event had a restriction in terms of the public attendance and thus, we had agreed that those who don’t attend can learn about it through the media, what we have donated and what we plan to do next, but if it’s not put out there, issues of transparency arise.”
However, when reached for comments, Inspector Adhiambo stated that the prison facility is currently restricted in terms of hosting visitors from outside due to the ebola threat around the Ugandan border.
Bungoma Prisons is the correctional facility that is the nearest to the Kenya/Uganda border along Malaba-Eldoret Highway.
“We have issues with abola and currently restricted on allowing members of the public from accessing our permiters. Media publicity will therefore expose us to the authorities,” said Inspector Nancy, in a telephone call with this writer.
Madam Nancy, however, said that the beauty pageant was free to “just donate her items and go away” but would be allowed media filing only for her own foundation reference but not for the public.
It’s not clear why she would go ahead to allow a donation at the facility when that activity already involves outsiders to access the institution.
Bungoma Women’s Prison has 68 inmates with 12 children all below the age of four years.
Ms Nasambu, through her Joyce Nasambu Foundation, had purchased 5 tailoring machines, sanitary items like pads, washing soaps and other items for the inmates.
She had called upon other well wishers to support the needy in the society and media reports play a major role in magnifying her work to willing supporters.
By the time of calling off the event, service providers had already finalised everything and ready for the big day.
Mercy Charity of Charity Model Club had pitched camp at the institution, training the inmates how to model.
Fashion designer Jessy Trends had already designed their outfits and done a test run on the inmates. MC Elpho was similarly on the ground ready to run the day’s programme while Abisha Carters had already done the décor.
Ironically, Miss Tourism had baked a special cake for the Inspector who is serving her last days before being transferred to Kakamega. The cake was supposed to be a sign of appreciation for her service at the facility.
The beauty pageant started her charity engagements way back in 2015 including planting trees, anti-jigger programme, donating school uniforms to children living with disabilities and visiting inmates.
Due to her charity activities, Nasambu has earned both foes and friends. Unconfirmed reports leaking to us suggest that some figures at the County Government of Bungoma were unhappy with Miss Tourism for failing to invite a senior official in the devolved unit.
According to the intel, the female officers working at the office of a Senior County government figure had wanted their boss to be the Chief Guest by force.
It’s now alleged that the said officers are the reason behind the frustration of Nassmbu’s event, after fearing that Nasambu would get mileage from the event instead of their boss.