A total of 20 contestants will today start a two-week boot camp at La Palisse Hotel Nyamata as Miss Rwanda 2021 enters the decisive stage.

Contestants eligible for the boot camp will be announced during the pre-selection exercise slated today, March 6, live on KC2.

The pre-selection exercise that will be held in the bubble kicked off today at La Palisse Hotel after all 37 contestants, the members of the jury and the organizing team underwent a PCR test for Covid-19.

"Results announced today showed that each of about 50 members who joined the bubble tested negative,” said Meghan Nimwiza, the pageant Communications Director.

Prior to the pre-selection, the public has for the past two weeks been casting their votes for their favorite contestant in a voting exercise (both online on IGIHE’s website and via SMS.

The voting, which closes today, March 6, will see two contestants with the highest number of votes book a ticket to progress to the boot camp.

They will join the 18 contestants who will be decided by the jury during the pre-selection exercise while 17 remaining contestants will be eliminated and sent back home.

Except contestants who will be eliminated from the pre-selection, everybody else will remain in the bubble till the grand finale.

In the previous editions, two girls shared a hotel room during the boot camp but each of the contestants will this time have their own room to better monitor the pandemic situation.

Besides the pre-selection, the remaining knock-out events namely the boot camp and finals will be conducted in a bubble system, in a bid to ensure that all five phases of the pageant are conducted safely.

Meanwhile, as soon as contestants enter the boot camp, voting will resume via the same platforms earlier used.

The public will follow all the phases via the official broadcaster and Miss Rwanda platforms.

The winner for Miss Rwanda 2021 will be announced during the grand finale slated for March 22. She will replace reigning crown holder Naomie Nishimwe.