When someone talks beauty pageants, what comes to mind is beautiful faces. The Miss Kampala Royale beauty contest held at the Kampala Serena Hotel last Friday looked for more than just pretty faces. Ambrose Jimmy Atwoko, who was a member of the judging panel, said that they mainly looked out for confidence, self-esteem, articulateness and knowledge about Kampala from the 20 girls who made it to the grand finale.
Shortly before the girls’ profiles were screened on giant screens, they wowed the audience with a dance performance, shaking their bodies to different Ugandan cultural tunes and Spanish music, similar to that played in telenovelas. They were also asked several questions about Kampala, to test their intellect and understanding of Uganda’s capital city.
At the end of the event, which went on till 1.30am, Grace Gashumba, a 22-year-old student at Ndejje University’s Kampala campus, pursuing a degree in Social Works and Social Administration, was announced winner. Gashumba fainted in disbelief. When she regained her composure, she said, “I feel happy because I was confident and had a positive attitude.” The beauty queen added that she will work with the relevant authorities to make Kampala a hospitable city to its visitors.
Her crown also came with a Shs3m cheque, a Toyota Spacio and an all-expenses paid trip to New Delhi, India to meet and interact with Miss World. She will also be the face of Glow Cosmetics for a period of one year.
Priscilla Kalisa emerged second runner-up while Victoria Nakiwu was the first runner-up. The beauty contest was organised by Kampala Capital City Authority and sponsored by Glow Cosmetics and Kampala Serena Hotel among others.
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