Miss Uganda: Nakakande takes over from Abenakyo
Former Miss Uganda and Miss World Africa Quinn Abenakyo (left), together with Miss World Venessa Ponce De Leone (right) crown the new Miss Uganda, Ms Oliver Nakakande, at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, on Friday. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO
On Friday, Ms Oliver Nakakande, 24, beat 21 other contestants to Miss Uganda 2019/2020 crown. She takes over the Miss Uganda duties from her predecessor, Ms Quiin Abenakyo
Ms Elizabeth Bagaya, 24, a make-up artist, was first runner-up while Ms Mariam Nyamatte, 21, a marketer, was second runner-up.
The finale was held at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel gardens and was well-attended.
The event, which started at about 9pm, encompassed pomp, glitz and glamour, especially by the contestants, who trouped in beautiful gowns done by stylist Tina Brad.
The contestants were cheered on, with the audience screaming out names of their favorites, while others went a notch higher blowing whistles and vuvuzelas.
Soon, Ms Nakakande stood out as one of the crowd’s favourites. A section of the audience wore T-shirts bearing her pictures.
Although she came top at the end of it all, the other contestants were not ready to give her an easy ride to the crown. They came out impressive in the question and answer session, answering correctly most of the questions posed by the judges.
But by the wee hours of the night, only Ms Nakakande was to run away with the crown.
But the day also had its share of misfortune as contestant Santina Anshemeza, 21, was stripped off her Miss Pulse (popularity) award and Shs2 million prize money.
This was after judge Sylvia Namutebi Alibhai came up the stage to clarify that there had been a mix up of names. To the amazement of the audience, she declared the rightful winner of the award would be announced on social media platforms on a separate date.
One of the judges of the day was Ms Zari Hassan, a famous socialite, commonly referred to as the Boss Lady.
Once called up the stage to announce the top three finalists, Zari caused a stir.
She left her seat, pranced onto the stage, and soon hell broke lose as she was booed after telling off the guests to bear with her since she is a “Boss Lady.”
She then thrust manila papers with names of the three finalists at Ms Anita Fabiola, one of the night’s mistress-of-ceremonies, and repeatedly commanding her to catch them mid-air.
When Ms Fabiola told Zari she was being disrespectful to everyone, the boss lady paused the announcement of the three finalists and went on self-defense, attracting more boos from the guests.
She only stopped her antics after being told off by Ms Fabiola that this was not the place for such strange manners.
By the end of the show, slightly after 1pm, the audience had more than enough of Zari’s antics, but Ms Nakakande had fittingly worn the country’s beauty crown.
