After a nationwide search, 22 young women were unveiled as this year’s Miss Uganda finalists on Friday, September 18, at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.
The Presentation Night, powered by V&A Sherry, marked the next step on the Road to the Crown 2026, following the Miss Uganda regional tour, where five young women were crowned regional queens and secured automatic spots as finalists in the grand finale.
The regional queens were joined by 17 others, and together they will now compete in a public popularity vote via www.africavotes.com, with the winner earning an automatic spot among the top five at the grand finale.
One by one, they took to the stage, each showcasing her poise, personality and sense of style before a crowd that chanted and cheered for their favourites.
Midway through proceedings, V&A Sherry and the Miss Uganda Foundation paused the pageant to mark 15 years of the foundation’s work empowering young women. Guests waited with anticipation as Rochart Kaweesa, representing V&A Sherry, and Brenda Nanyonjo, the foundation’s CEO, stepped forward to raise a toast to the milestone.
“As V&A Sherry, we are proud to be partners of an organisation that has supported and empowered young women for the past 15 years. Being a sorority that empowers one another, this toast is a special one to the women stepping forward to be seen, heard and celebrated,” said Kaweesa, Community Manager at UBL, representing V&A Sherry at the presentation night. “We at V&A couldn’t be prouder of the platform that has given Ugandan young women a space to shine and use their talents to impact and change society.”
For Nanyonjo, the night carried personal weight; a reminder, she said, of how far the foundation has come under her leadership of the franchise.
“I am super excited that we are now celebrating 15 years of empowering, impacting and changing the lives of young women. I am so grateful to the sponsors that have walked this journey with us. They have supported the many young women in their fight to impact society through the projects they execute and the advocacy they carry out to voice societal concerns. I could not be prouder and more grateful for that,” she said.
Among those in the room were some of the foundation’s previous queens, including Phiona Bizzu, Miss Uganda 2012, who is now CEO of the Academy of Queens, and outgoing queen Trivia Elle Muhoza, who recently represented Uganda on the Miss World stage in Vietnam. Their presence was a reminder of how far a Miss Uganda journey can travel.
After the toast, V&A Sherry and other sponsors presented gift hampers to the five regional queens: Nalumu Shamsa (Miss Uganda Central), Nabirye Faith Magero (Miss Uganda Eastern), Alum Eunice Amelia (Miss Uganda North), Nakato Bridget Prudence (Miss Uganda West Nile), and Murungi Angel Liz (Miss Uganda Western).
Beyond the competition itself, the night had the feel of a full-scale celebration. Abeeka Band, Jiren Siyan, and Spice Diana kept the crowd entertained between rounds of the pageant, while V&A Sherry brought its own flavour to the evening, serving Vangrias and neat pours of its sherry liqueur to guests throughout the night.
With voting now open, the focus moves to the public. Their votes will give one contestant an opportunity to be among the top five at the grand finale set for October 10, 2026.