Uganda crowned 23-year-old Leah Kalanguka its representative for this year’s Miss World title late Saturday night. The Makerere University student of computer engineering, who will be graduating in January, says she woke up confident she could secure the crown.
“When I heard that this year’s theme is about agribusiness to ensure promoting agricultural entrepreneurship among the youth, I knew this is something I could do because I am involved in farming,” she said.
Leah missed the eastern regional search because she was away helping to teach youths how to grow cabbages, something she learnt from her mother, an agriculture teacher at Makerere College School. But she made it a point to enter the Kampala pre-selection, which was open to all single girls who have never given birth and who are between the ages of 18 and 24. It was here that she caught the eye of the judges and made it to the finalists’ list.
Leah confesses that she didn’t know much about what it takes to be a beauty queen, but Joram Muzira, one of the Miss Uganda tutors, helped her a lot.
“I come from a family where you have to be the best. So in every challenge, I take keen note on how to outwit others,” she said.
“I focused on what Joram taught me, especially how to impress the judges and how to smile”.
Indeed, she should know something about competition. As third born in a family of six girls, Leah is probably no stranger to striving for attention. All her five sisters were in attendance, screaming their lungs out from the moment she took an early lead as Miss Photogenic. Even her friends from Olympia hostel in Makerere Kikoni, where she has been residing, turned up in big numbers.
However, her parents: Kayondo and Jane Bagaya Kalanguka weren’t in attendance.
“They are very loving and have supported me all the way, but they told me they would stay home and just follow the proceedings and I was okay with it,” Leah said.
The beauty queen, whose role model is Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, intends to change the youth’s mindset about agribusiness to ensure that they effectively get involved in the sector, which employs nearly 80 per cent Ugandans.
Leah wins herself a brand new Toyota Spacio and monthly allowance of a million Uganda shillings (about £230) for her entire one year reign.
First runner-up was 22-year-old Brenda Iriama from Nakapiripirit district in Karamoja. The second runner-up was 19-year-old Yasmin Taba from Koboko district, who also won Miss Personality.
