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By Reagan Ssempijja
When most beauty queens reach the helm of beauty pageantry in Uganda, Miss Uganda, they literary vanish off the face of the earth, barely months into their reign. For Sylvia Namutebi Allibhai, however, being crowned Miss Uganda back in 2011 was also the beginning of a seemingly never-ending pageantry journey.
Ten years later, in 2021, she was crowned Mrs Uganda World, in a beauty pageant that seeks to crown married beauty queens from across the world. This crown resultantly meant that Namutebi would then qualify to compete for the international crown – Mrs World. Today, therefore, she has jetted off to Las Vegas in the US, for the finale of the pageantry.
Namutebi becomes the third Ugandan to contest at this level, following radio personality Crystal Newman in 2011 and musician Halima Namakula in 2009.
This crown has glaringly meant a lot to Namutebi, judging from how aggressive and passionate she has been about the process leading to her trip to Las Vegas.
Namutebi (centre) being flagged off for the Mrs World contest. Courtesy photo
To show excitement as she set off, Namutebi took to social media and said, “It’s time! I’m off to Las Vegas for the Mrs World pageant. At this point, I’m just grateful for the overwhelming support I have had on this journey. May God guide me in this new chapter to represent my country for what it truly is, the tradition, food, the fashion, friendly people and our weather.”
Her departure alone, flattered by glamour and fashion, spoke to a contestant ready to bring the crown home. Clad in white pants, a white one-shoulder tank top and a red blazer with a bit of Kikooyi fabric, Namutebi made quite a departure statement. She was accompanied by her husband – Ali Allibhai.
Currently, the crown is being held by Kate Schneider from Ireland, who took over after the resignation of Caroline Jurie. It should be remembered that Jurie’s reign had been extended for an extra year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, following chaotic scenes that took place on stage during the Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant ceremony, orchestrated by Jurie, she resigned. Looks like the international stage, too, is not devoid of drama, after all.
