East African Tourism queens relish Ugandan culture, cuisines ahead of inaugural grand finale

Contestants taking part in the inaugural Miss Tourism East Africa pageant had a special evening at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel on Thursday, experiencing Uganda’s culture, music and traditional cuisines as they prepared for the grand finale in Kampala.

The 21 contestants representing seven East African countries arrived in Uganda this week ahead of the final event scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at the new Kampala Marriott Hotel.

The competition brings together representatives from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Zanzibar.

Ugandan fashion designer and Miss Tourism East Africa operations manager Sam Akuaku said the pageant was created to give African contestants a platform to compete for a regional crown.

“In total we have 21 contestants, each country sending three representatives. This is the inaugural contest,” Akuaku said.

The idea, he said, was inspired by the participation of African contestants in international tourism competitions, with organisers seeking to create a platform where Africans could celebrate their own identity.

Uganda is hosting the first edition, but Akuaku said future competitions will rotate among East African countries.

Ahead of the finale, the contestants have been undergoing training at the Kampala Marriott Hotel, with some receiving their first major exposure to pageantry.

At Sheraton Kampala Hotel, the girls took part in an African-themed evening featuring Ugandan culture, music and traditional dishes from across East Africa.

The hotel general manager Jean-Philippe Bittencourt expressed excitement over hosting the contestants as they prepare for the final.

“This is a special evening. Every Thursday is our African Night, and so there wasn’t a better opportunity to bring you here to taste the good foods that we prepare, dishes from different parts of Eastern Africa and also this music entertainment,” Bittencourt said.

He urged the contestants to use their positions as ambassadors to support their communities.

The event was attended by Miss Tourism East Africa patron Halima Namakula and communications officer Recheal Kiwanuka, popularly known as Rachel K.

Namakula encouraged the contestants to embrace the experience, reminding them that participation itself was an achievement.

“You are all winners, so enjoy the experience,” Namakula said.

The winner of the competition will receive a Shs40 million cash prize.

Akuaku said organisers chose a cash award instead of the traditional vehicle prizes often associated with beauty competitions to give the winner more flexibility in using the reward.

The grand finale will take place at Kampala Marriott Hotel on Saturday, September 12, starting at 6pm, where the first Miss Tourism East Africa queen will be crowned.