By Denis Nsubuga
Elizabeth Atwesigye, a second-year student of bachelor of arts in music at Makerere University, has been crowned the national Miss University Africa Uganda.
She was announced the winner of the pageant on Saturday night, June 11, at the International University of East Africa (IUEA), Kampala after a tight contest among 27 beauty queens from tertiary institutions across the country.
Atwesigye, who also serves as the Miss Makerere University, will represent the country at the continental beauty contest, Miss University Africa, grand finale in Nigeria in October.
She was crowned alongside Esther Kuteesa, a second-year student of cosmetology at YMCA Comprehensive Institute, Kampala and Victoria Atukunda, a fourth-year student of bachelor of law at Uganda Christian University as first and second runners-up respectively.
The pageant saw models showcasing various items, including their creativity, catwalk, and confidence.
They sauntered on the red-carpet runway inside the Wonder World Amusement Park auditorium in a variety of colourful costumes.
As the night’s MC repeatedly pronounced throughout the showcases that “queens are born to shine,” every contestant that turned up, worked to outshine other contenders.
The audience was made up of supporters from the various universities, who cheered their stars whenever they appeared on the stage.
After individual acts, the contestants would walk to the stage in a collective blended showcase of their unique creative outfits to the delight of the spectators, who reacted with applauses.
After four showcases, namely casual, culture, creative and dinner wears, 12 were selected for a question-and-answer session.
Other categories were Miss Catwalk, Miss Creativity, Miss Culture, Miss Talent, and Miss popularity.
The elimination session, which caused tension amid participants and the audience, got six contenders, from which they selected the top three.
The outgoing Miss University Africa Uganda 2021-2022, Abias Nabaasa, said the opportunity to go to Nigeria comes with lessons on professional development for the young women who want to pursue careers in modelling.
Macklyne Mwase Atuhaire, co-ordinator of Miss University Africa Uganda, said the pageant exposes the young models to international standards of the pageantry and modelling profession.
“We shall train the queen to prepare her for the continental contest. She will have to do a project and a campaign to promote Uganda. We hope that by the times she sets off for Nigeria, she will be ready to represent the country well,” said Atuhaire, who was the chief judge at the contest.
After being crowned, Atwesigye said she wants to use her newfound position to promote talent development among the youth.
