Mucureezi Milfat of Ankole has been crowned Miss Tourism Uganda 2026, taking the title at the grand finale held on Friday, September 4.
The 20-year-old student emerged as the overall winner in a competition that brought together contestants from across Uganda to showcase tourism, culture, talent and national identity.
Milfat was also named Miss Talent, adding to her success on the night.
She was joined at the top of Uganda’s tourism pageantry by Prosper Auther Makay, who was crowned Man of Tourism International King 2026.
Beyond the crown, Milfat enters her reign with a technology-focused advocacy centred on equipping young Ugandans with artificial intelligence skills and using digital tools to promote the country’s tourism and cultural heritage.
She is the founder of Junior Eco Organisation Uganda, through which she proposes helping young people develop home-grown applications and digital platforms to showcase Uganda’s natural and cultural attractions.
Her platform comes at a time when technology is increasingly shaping how travellers discover destinations, from social media and digital storytelling to artificial intelligence.
A tourism crown with a wider agenda
The Miss Tourism Uganda competition features contestants from different parts of the country and includes titles linked to areas such as conservation, heritage, agro-tourism, environment and culture.
At the grand finale, Kajumba Gorret Abwooli was named Sports Queen and first runner-up, while Bongonyinge Harriet finished second runner-up.
Other titles included Miss Agro Tourism, Miss Conservation, Miss Environment, Miss Heritage, Miss Congeniality, Miss Photogenic and UWA Ambassador.
The range of categories reflects an effort to position the pageant as more than a beauty competition, with contestants expected to champion issues connected to Uganda’s tourism industry and communities.
For Milfat, however, the challenge will be taking that message into the digital space.
Uganda markets itself as the Pearl of Africa, with its tourism appeal built around wildlife, landscapes, cultural heritage and communities. Milfat’s proposed use of AI and digital platforms adds a distinctly modern dimension to that story.
Her ambition is not only to promote Uganda to the world, but to equip young Ugandans to become the people telling that story.
That could mean turning smartphones, social media and AI tools into platforms for showcasing destinations that might otherwise remain outside the global tourism conversation.
As she begins her reign, Milfat therefore carries two ambitions: to promote Uganda’s tourism and to help a new generation of Ugandans acquire the tools to tell their own stories.
The crown may represent tourism, but Milfat wants technology to be part of how Uganda tells its story.