By Our Reporter

Jinja bought its royal second over the weekend as V&A Sherry partnered with Miss Uganda basis to raise the opening leg of their regional search, reworking the beginning of the Journey to the Crown right into a celebration of ambition, sisterhood and shared success.

The celebrations started on Friday, at Le Jouri Lounge, the place V&A Sherry hosted the ‘Party with the Queens’, a sunset-to-night expertise that introduced collectively reigning and former magnificence queens, media personalities, pageant fanatics and visitors to formally launch the Eastern regional search. Serving because the curtain-raiser to the auditions, the occasion celebrated the pageant’s legacy whereas setting the tone for an additional nationwide seek for Uganda’s subsequent queen.

The regional tour follows the official launch of the 2026 Miss Uganda season on June 18 and marks the return of the search to communities throughout the nation in pursuit of younger ladies whose ambition, management and expertise might earn them the coveted crown.

By Sunday, the joy had reached its climax because the Eastern regional finale topped Nabirye Faith Magero, Ajambo Olivia, and Balwaani Patricia to symbolize the area within the Journey to the Crown 2026. The trio will now advance to the Miss Uganda Grand Finale on October 10, the place one contestant might be topped Miss Uganda 2026 and earn the honour of representing the nation at Miss World.

For V&A Sherry, the partnership displays the model’s dedication to celebrating life’s significant milestones by means of its ‘Yours to Share’ platform.

“Miss Uganda is about confidence, objective and celebrating ladies who encourage others by means of their journeys. Those are the moments folks naturally wish to share, and that’s the place V&A Sherry feels most at house,” mentioned Roy Ronald Tumwizere, Brand Manager, V&A Sherry at Uganda Breweries Limited. “We needed to create an event the place the queens, their supporters and the broader neighborhood might come collectively and have fun the start of one other outstanding journey.”

Throughout the weekend, the venue buzzed with pleasure as visitors gathered across the V&A Sherry expertise, the place signature cocktails, conversations and shared celebrations created an environment that mirrored the optimism of a brand new starting. Elegant photograph moments and branded installations drew visitors collectively, making the activation a pure extension of the night relatively than merely a sponsorship.

The competitors itself rewarded authenticity as a lot as magnificence. Contestants impressed judges with considerate responses, assured stage presence and personalities that shone by means of each introduction. Some captivated the viewers with easy charisma, whereas others received admiration by means of quiet composure, reminding everybody that the pageant is about objective as a lot as poise.

When the ultimate outcomes have been introduced, emotion swept throughout the venue. Overcome with pleasure, Eastern regional queen Nabirye Faith Magero fought again tears because the crown was positioned on her head, whereas supporters erupted into cheers and applause.

“I’m very glad that I’ve received in the present day as queen to symbolize the East within the Miss Uganda pageant. This means all the things to me. I’m grateful to everybody who believed in me and supported me. Representing Eastern Uganda is an honour, and I’m prepared for the journey forward,” she mentioned.

The celebration belonged not solely to the winners but additionally to the households, pals and communities that had rallied behind them. Fellow contestants embraced each other in a shifting show of sisterhood, whereas supporters captured each second on their telephones, preserving reminiscences that may lengthy outlive the competitors.

The regional search now heads to West Nile, Northern, Western and Central Uganda earlier than culminating within the Miss Uganda Grand Finale on the Sheraton Kampala Hotel on October 10.

If Jinja is any indication, the Journey to the Crown has begun precisely because it ought to, with communities united behind their very own, goals withdrawing and each milestone changing into one other second price sharing.

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