Ruth Kamande, who came to the limelight last for allegedly stabbing her lover 22 times, was crowned the most beautiful woman at the Langata Women's Prison on Wednesday.
Her dashing beauty awed the judges leaving them with no doubt but to crown her the beauty queen.
But Ruth regrets her action which has led to her incarceration at the remand prison for one year now.
Ruth's fragile hands and likable demeanor contrast with her moment of madness that led to the stabbing of her beloved boyfriend Farid Ahmed in Buru Buru estate on September 20, 2015.
It was said in court that she stabbed Farid, 23, after finding lewd text messages from a secret lover.
Ruth, 22, allegedly also sustained , right thigh and left hand during the fight.
Ruth says if she could take back the hand of time, she would not commit the crime.
“There is always a better way to resolve issues than getting to the extreme,” she said regretfully a few hours before being crowned Miss Langata Prison 2016.
Ruth alias 'Biggy' was crowned after trouncing 19 contestants.
The trained beautician, now serving her twelfth month as a remandee, stunned contest judges with her elegance, flawless moves, confidence and her short, firm strides, to win the competition.
Sitting with her, it is hard to imagine that the happy-go-lucky girl, who even sang during the contest, faces such serious charges in the country.
But she says she is a reformed person.
The beauty says prison is not as bad a place as she initially thought. Despite going through hard times and stress in the beginning, Ruth says she has learnt to accept the situation and smile through it.
“Despite lack of freedom, prison is not a bad place. They have reform programmes and I was enrolled immediately I came in and went through counseling,” she said.
She said the best way to live in prison is to show the management your willingness to reform.
"If you show them you are ready to change they give you the opportunity to engage in different activities like what I am doing now,” she said referring to her new modeling career.
Ruth's case is currently at pre-trial and she denied charges against her.
A Tanzanian named Tina Martin, who is facing drug smuggling charges, was first runners up, while Susan Wairimu, who is accused of robbery with violence, came in third place.
Speaking during the event, the deputy commissioner general of prisons in charge of Langata, Olivia Obel said the event is meant to celebrate beauty behind bars.
“We are bringing out beauty with a difference, showing the world that there is beauty in prison,” she said.
Olivia said they are giving their clients (prisoners) a second chance and asked the society to accept them when released, without stigmatising them.
Nairobi women representative Rachel Shebesh who attended the event said such events make the women feel human and should be encouraged.
“Celebrating their beauty makes them feel their life is worth something,” she said adding that most of those young girls in prison commit crimes for lack of guidance.
Shebesh offered to pay bail for petty offenders who are in prison and lack funds to pay bond.
“It’s not sensible to remand petty offenders just because they cannot afford bail. This only congests the prisons,” she said.