Woman who stands tall at three feet

At three feet, Ruth Mueni stands tall and exudes confidence. Even people with ordinary height are yet to achieve her success.

She has won numerous awards, the latest being Miss Confidence Kenya 2011, which was conferred during the Miss Fabulous Jipange Beauty Contest in the city last week.

“You may be normal, but if you are yet to use whatever God has given you well, you are not an achiever,” a beaming Ruth said with a smile as she was crowned in the even organised by Beki Promotions and sponsored by National Organisation of Peer Educators (NOPE) under the Tupange Project.

Both sponsors support the youth to come up with solutions to problems affecting them, including disabilities, health and unemployment.

Ruth was crowned in the special category meant to motivate other people with disability.

“When I told people that I will one day work in the government, they did not believe. Now I’m interested in the media where I will anchor news,” said the model who is set to enrol for an undergraduate degree in mass communication next year.

Her diploma in public relations from the University of Nairobi, she says, shaped her communication skills both at work and in social life.

The 29-nine-year-old Ruth is the last born in a family of six siblings — three men and three women — but the only one born with disability.

“Some people would tease me, wondering when I would grow taller like other children. When I joined Joytown Primary School in Thika, I got to accept my condition because of the counselling and teaching I got,” says the model who later on joined Joytown High School, Thika, and sat for her KCSE exams in 2000.

She enjoyed the love and support parents traditionally give their last borns. They encouraged her to go for her dreams despite the setback and teases from neighbours’ children.

“Due to lack of school fee, I was unable to unroll for mass communication as I had planned and therefore I opted for secretarial classes in the city,” she said after the event at the Sixeighty Hotel on Wednesday evening.

It was after getting a job at the Ministry of Youth and Sports as a clerk in 2008 that she decided to go back to class for the diploma in public relations. She graduated a year ago.

“Now I want to be a television news anchor, and I’m sure I will be,” said Ruth who has a passion for table tennis.

Height and intelligence

“Most beauty contests look at the height and intelligence of the girls. She came confidently and we thought hers was a special case and therefore we opted to reward her,” said Benard Kivondo of Beki Promotions.

Ruth received applause from the revellers when she made to the podium to showcase her modelling at the Sixeighty Hotel.

Her colleagues made long strides, but she confidently walked on stage, each step received with thunderous cheers.

Following her crowning, she will be a goodwill ambassador of Reproductive Health at NOPE.

“My responsibilities will include going around the country to talk to different families and organisations on the need for family planning, and its effects,” said Ruth.

“Not many people who are disabled like her will want to feature in such an event. Indeed she is confident and intelligent. We believe she will be able to reach a number of Kenyans and inspire them,” said Job Akuno of NOPE.

The organisation has given her a one-year job contract, and according to Akuno, she may or may not be retained depending on whether another disabled and confident person like her comes along.

In 2009, she won a silver when she represented Kenya in the International Paralympic Games in Egypt.

The table tennis team which did well was given a heroic welcome back home and later, Ruth had a hearty chat with President Kibaki.

“I confidently went straight for his handshake and I was happy when he smiled” she recalled as she showed the Nation photographs of herself with President Kibaki.