Miss Uganda 2015 launches this Friday

Time flies so fast. It feels like just the other day when Leah Kalanguka was crowned Miss Uganda 2014/15. That was in October last year. Brenda Iriama and Taban Yazmin were crowned 1^st and 2^nd runner up respectively. As you read this, her reign is coming to an end. This year’s edition kicks off on Friday (22/May/2015) with a major launch to take place at Serena hotel. At the invite only event, the team from Miss Uganda Foundation will lay down plans for this year’s pageant and the road map. Dates will be revealed of when the judges are heading out to different regions to pick the contestants who will represent their regions at the finale. Also this year’s sponsors will be unveiled although we have it on good authority that Mirinda is coming back onboard for the second year running. More information will be revealed on this site. Below is some of the action from last year’s launch.

The team from Mirinda at the event

Backstage with Fashion Designer Brenda Maraka taking measurements of one of the contestants

Anita Fabiola (L) with the host of the night Jaylor Birungi

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2015 Mirinda Miss Teen Search Kicks Off On May 9

Last Year’s Top 3

The highly-anticipated Mirinda Miss Teen Season 4 will start on May 9, 2015 with new categories and an exciting search tour that will include Northern Uganda, for the first time.

Mirinda Miss Teen is an annual talent contest that aims at showcasing the great talents and characters of today’s teenage girls.

This year’s theme is; “Work Hard, Play Hard” and will involve a search for a girl who is not only beautiful and smart but is also fun-loving.

“We are sponsoring the 2015 Mirinda Miss Teen edition because it’s still the most relevant platform that helps the brand connect with its primary audience; a young girl with the attributes that Mirinda embodies,” said Mr Innocent Tibayeita, the head of marketing and sales at Crown Beverages Limited, the bottlers of Mirinda.

“Mirinda Miss Teen helps the youth to release that inner spontaneous playful spirit that is within every one of us. In so doing, Mirinda Miss Teen brings to life our exciting thematic campaign, free your fun side. More than 40 schools are set to take part in this year’s edition including those from the North, for the very first time in the competition’s history,” Mr Tibayeita added.

Keza Namazzi

Through this contest, Mirinda is searching for school-going teenage girls between 15 and 18 years of age. They should be girls who know when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to loosen up and have a good time.

The new categories introduced; Miss AMBITIOUS and Miss PLAY HARD will see winners getting a chance to attend fully-paid five-day career guidance training and a Shs1million cash prize respectively. Fourteen-year-old Keza Namazzi from Mt.St.Mary’s Namagunga is the reigning Mirinda Miss Teen, and second runner-up is Gloria Rutaremwa of Seeta High. Marianne Katusiime now of Gayaza High School was the first runner-up.

Keza walked home with Shs2.5 million worth school fees for a year while Katusiime and Rutaremwa got Shs1.5 million and Shs1.2 million respectively. The prizes for these categories remain the same this year, as well.

Mirinda has promised to make the launch event of Mirinda Miss Teen 2015, the utmost definition of fun and pleasure this holiday. At the launch, the judges will also be unveiled to the public.

The winners will be crowned at a ceremony sufficient of majesty and grandeur in Kampala in September.

Miss Uganda 2014 grand finale on Saturday

The grand finale for Miss Uganda 2014 takes place tomorrow evening at Speke Resort, Munyonyo. Who will take over the crown from 2013/14’s beauty queen Stella Nantumbwe? That question will be answered tomorrow when the 20 finalists take to the stage and face the judges in the run for car, one million per monthly stipend and an opportunity to represent Uganda at Miss World. The first and second runner-up will get Shs 700,000 and Shs 500,000, respectively.

The car prize and monthly pay was confirmed by Janet Nalugya, the Projector Coordinator, Miss Uganda, bringing an end to the speculation that the winner would walk away empty handed.

With the changes that have taken place in the pageant this year, many are waiting to see how the grand finale will turn out. Unlike previous year’s where people would be guessing who will take the crown by now, the change in concept has left the pageant’s fans in anticipation about who will eventually take the crown of the ‘re-branded’ Miss Uganda.

The glitz and glamour that comes with such an event will be in place according to the organisers. Roger Mugisha (KFM) and Flavia Tumusiime (Capital FM) will host the red carpet event. There will also be performances by Myko Ouma and Desire Luzinda alongside comedian Alex Muhangi.

The 20 finalists are Evelyn Mugisha, Claudet Kesiime, Flavia Constance Ibyara, Christine Tayebwa, Saluma Letitia Achola, Rita Namubiru, Nurah Nantume, Shilla Karungi, Sharon Auma, Mabel Namala, Sharifah Sherry Nalulyo, Caroline Nantambi, Sheena Kyozira, Queen Owakiro, Christine Letio, Yasmin Taban, Penelope Nankunda, Leah Kalanguka, Flavia Aloyo and Brenda Iriama. May the best contestant win.

Kezzi Entertainment, Mirinda, SMS One, TV Africa and Namukekera Rural Industrial Centre (NRIC) have put the event together. Proceeds kick off at 7pm and cover charge is Shs 70,000 and Shs 150,000 for VIP.

Keza Namazzi wins Miss Teen 2014 crown

 

 

When Keza Namazzi was voted Entertainment Prefect for Kampala Junior Academy (KJA), she was quoted by The Observer to have said, “I just wanted this post but I cannot dance. My parents also wanted me to be a prefect and promised that they would make me a party if I got through. I will be good to my friends and will not punish them harshly because they voted me with love.” Well, she was only 10 years old then and in Primary Four but her star had started rising. In the same year, she became the first presenter of NTV’s children’s show, Planet K.

It is her confidence from hosting the TV show that helped her emerge the winner of Mirinda Miss Teen 2014. The grand finale was held today (16^th August) at Kati Kati grounds. Her road to the finals started when the search team visited her school – Mount St Mary’s College Namagunga. Contestant after contestant took to the stage to woo the judges. But none stood out since most of them could only dance and for most their levels of confidence and question approach were wanting. But one girl swept them away and ended up being crowned Miss Teen Namagunga and that girl was Keza Namazzi. She chose to do what she knows best- by proving that she can host a TV show and wants to become Uganda’s Oprah Winfrey.

It is that that same ability that helped her to win the overall crown.

The 1^st runner up was Marianne Katusiime (Nabisunsa Girls School) while 2^nd runner up was Gloria Rutaremwa (Seeta High Mukono). Linda Muhooza from Eden International (Mbarara) was voted Miss Popularity. There were performances by Fille, Mun G, Navio, Pallaso and Sheebah. Congs to Mirinda and Buzz Events for this was by far the most successful Miss Teen since it was started three years ago.

A mix of this year’s and last year’s winners. Far right is the Mirinda Brand Manager Berna Kizza.

MC Talha (C) poses with his fans

Miss Uganda 2013/14 Stellah Nsereko and Miss Uganda 2013/14 finalist Jaylor Birungi

Fille performs at the fully packed event

Mrinda Miss teen grande finale at Kati Kati

Last year’s winners display their cash prize

The search for Mirinda Miss Teen 2014 comes to an end this weekend, bringing the curtains down to a very exciting season. All the action will take place on Saturday between 9am and 6pm at Kati Kati grounds. After the team traversing different regions picking out the talent and gearing up for the grand finale, show goers should expect an entertaining show from the beginning to end.

This year, another exciting category has been added whereby the teens get to vote for their favourite contestant. By press time, Linda Muhoza, representing Mbarara’s Eden International School, was leading the online votes, closely followed by Keza Namazzi from Mount St Mary’s Namagunga. Namazzi, a former children’s TV show host, is also one of the top contenders for the most coveted crown of the day, Mirinda Miss Teen Star 2014 and school fees for a year. More than 20 girls will contest for that title, won by Patience Ahabwe of Nsambya Girls School last year. The other categories to be contested for are Miss Brainy, Miss Entrepreneurship and Miss Fashionista.

The judges, Tattu, KK and Angela are going to have a long day choosing the eventual winner

Apart from having the teens showcasing their dancing, acting, designing and entrepreneurial abilities, there will be performances from artistes such as Irene Ntale, Fille, Sheeba, Rema, among others, plus comedians. Deejays Roja and Mark will be in charge of the music while MCs Sheila, Bettina and Talha will be the day’s hosts.

Berna Kizza, the Mirinda brand manager, says this year’s finale will be better than last years.

“Over the last three months, the search for the Mirinda Miss Teen 2014 has been to eastern, central and western Uganda, and individual schools in and around Kampala. Our objective was to engage with our core audience through Miss Teen and the experience has been more than exciting. We shall undoubtedly have a better experience than last year’s” she said.

Mirinda Miss Teen is an annual talent contest that aims at showcasing the great talents and characters of today’s teenage girls.

Entrance fee is Shs 5,000 that comes with a free soda.