Photos: How it went down at Miss Uganda Grand Finale

While Ugandans are still celebrating Quiin Abenakyo’s remarkable success, they will have to contend with the reality that her reign has come to an end.

Uganda has now got a new beauty queen in the names of Oliver Nakakande who was crowned Miss Uganda at a glamorous event on Friday evening at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.

The beauty who hails from Bombi and is a student pursing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management beat 21 other contestants to the crown. 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.

Reigning Miss World, Vanessa Ponce De Leon, who was in attendance thanked Brenda Nanyonjo, the Miss Uganda Foundation CEO for instilling the principles of beauty with a purpose in the girls.

Ponce promised to return to Uganda where she said she fell in love with matooke (plantain). Besides crowning, artiste Grenade came and got the crowd a moment of music as he performed some of his songs. Myco Ouma and Jose Sax also had time to make their instruments talk. They played songs like ‘Wankona’, ‘Motigbana’ ‘On The Low’ and ‘Case’ among others on the Guitar and Saxophone.

When called on stage to announce the top three finalists, Zari Hassan who was one of the judges of the day caused a commotion when she shoved an envelope with names of the three finalists at Anita Fabiola, one of the night’s emcees, and repeatedly commanding her to catch them mid-air.

When Fabiola told Zari she was being disrespectful and it was not the time or place to do that, the boss lady paused the announcement of the three finalists and went and started defending herself, attracting boos from the guests.

At the end of the night, Elizabeth Bagaya emerged 1st runner up, Mariam Nyamatte second runner up and Nakakande drove away in her brand new Toyota Wish Red branded Miss Uganda.