Jean Ojiro is a Kenyan commercial model, digital content creator, influencer, and dancer who was crowned Miss Universe Kenya in 2026.
On July 25, Jean was crowned Miss Universe Kenya at the Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel in Nairobi and is set to represent Kenya in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the 75th Miss Universe pageant.
During the Miss Universe Kenya 2026, Jean competed against Mokeira Onchiri, Esther Caren Ochieng, and Myra Mburu, who had proceeded to the final stage of the competition.
Early Life and Education
Ojiro was born in Nairobi but moved to Kisumu with her family at the age of three.
In Kisumu, she attended nursery, primary, and secondary school.
From an early age, she was drawn to performing arts, participating in school activities involving singing and dancing, and developed a strong interest in being in front of the camera.
Her love for photography, performance, and entertainment later influenced her modeling career choices.
“In the school that I was in, every year we used to have annual day, so I was always their front line singing, dancing, and I just really enjoyed it. I feel like it was just so natural, and whenever I used to watch like teenage movies, I was always like, wow, this is something that I would love to do,” Jean Ojiro explained on her passion for modeling during an interview with KTN.
Additionally, the current Miss Universe Kenya is athletic and has participated in sports but does not frequently engage in them.
In 2023, she completed a Diploma in Journalism at Riara University.
Family
Jean Ojiro credits her family for playing a critical role in her career and personal development.
Her sister, who is a realtor, helped launch her modeling career by signing her up with a modeling agency in Nairobi.
She has often described her father as a determined and persistent individual whose confidence and work ethic inspired her own approach to opportunities and challenges.
In addition, Jean acknowledges her mother for teaching her financial discipline and the importance of saving from a young age.
Career and Achievements
Ojiro began her modeling career after high school, focusing primarily on commercial modeling.
As a commercial model, she made appearances in television commercials, billboards, and print advertising campaigns.
Her breakthrough came when she landed a role in a Guinness commercial ad after several unsuccessful auditions in 2018.
She later appeared in campaigns for major brands including Coca-Cola, Safaricom, Cadbury, Johnny Walker, and Darling Hair.
Further, Jean Ojiro has walked runways for designers and fashion brands such as Samantha Bridals, Karegi and Sally Karago Collections.
After the initial partnership ended, she successfully pitched for a renewal and was flown to Lagos, Nigeria, in 2021 for two weeks to participate in another campaign for the brand.
As an influencer, she has worked with brands such as Johnnie Walker, Google, Darling Hair, and B-Girl.
Speaking during a past interview, Jean stated that working as an influencer for EABL’s Johnny Walker remains one of her best campaigns, which she was recruited to by Wowzi agency.
Jean Ojiro’s Influencer Journey
Alongside modeling, she launched a YouTube channel in 2016, initially sharing dance videos before transitioning into lifestyle, travel, and behind-the-scenes content.
Posting on her YouTube channel, Ojiro received her first job as an influencer after posting Donuts and Cocktails at Donut World, where she received 5,000 and a giveaway of KSh 5,000 in 2018.
In her influencer journey, Jean bought an iPhone for KSh 30,000 and a ring light for KSh 30,000 to improve the quality of videos and attract brand deals.
One of her career-defining moments came in 2019 when she was selected for a campaign by Zaron, a Nigerian cosmetics company, in Kenya.
Beyond modeling and content creation, Ojiro has appeared in music videos, choreographed dance content, and used her journalism background to strengthen her storytelling and media production skills.
Modelling Experience
According to Jean, she ventures into commercial modeling as well as fashion modeling, which involves photo shoots and runways.
As a model, Jean emphasized that the timeline and working hours vary depending on the activity of the day.
To start her day, the model is usually picked up from home, taken for breakfast, hair and makeup, and wardrobe, and continues to shoot.
Breaks during the shoot depend on the schedule of the entities the model is working with, and the model is later dropped back at home.
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