Miss Uganda is a pageant that has celebrated beauty with a purpose through the years but among the winners of the pageant that many could have forgotten is now fallen Dokolo woman MP Cecilia Ogwal.
In 1969, Ogwal, 23 years old then, won the beauty pageant heldat the Apollo Milton Hotel (current Sheraton).
She was then a Bachelor of Commerce finalist at the East African University in Nairobi.
Speaking to Daily Monitor in 2016, Ogwal said her fiancé had teased her that he was going to marry the most beautiful woman in the country.
She said later, the fiancé later brought a newspaper with an advert for a beauty pageant where participants had to be taken through oral interviews.
Ogwal tried out her luck and was selected among other participants.
“ The day before crowning the winner, the other girls and I were booked into Apollo Milton Hotel, now Sheraton Kampala Hotel so that we could prepare adequately for the following day. We were also taken to shop for different items including clothes that we were going to use during the final event. On d-day, we were once again briefed on what to do once we got in front of the judges. There was nothing really spectacular about the indoor event,” Ogwal said.
“Unlike nowadays, we did not have makeup, changing outfits and catwalk on stage. Ours was a very simple affair where we were required to perform one particular task. Each girl was required to show how to prepare and present it in a friendly manner to the panel of judges. I do not remember how many participants we were exactly.”
Media gets it wrong
Ogwal however said whereas she didn’t win the beauty pageant, the media got it wrong and declared her the winner.
“Being the first beauty pageant in the country, the local media was very excited. They reported a lot about the event. Despite this, I never followed anything from any media house. I only started getting shocked when most people starting calling me Miss Uganda. I became a little confused. Later, I discovered that the media had actually branded me the winner of the event and blindsided the girl from Fort Portal.”
“To date, I have failed to understand why the media did that. Was it because of my confidence, loud and clear voice? As much as the contest focused on marketing tea, there was the aspect of beauty.”
Fact file
Born 12, June 1946 to Opio Boniface (RIP) and Rosemary Apio.
Married to Lamech Ogwal with seven biological children and several adopted ones.
Certificate in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) from Australia’s Habitat Studies (2008)
Certificate in Christian-based values, Hagai Institute Singapore (1997), Liaison Officer for Returning Refugees at the Ugandan Embassy in Kenya (1979-1980), Chairperson, UPC’s Presidential Policy Commission (1992- 1996), Chairperson, UPC’s Interim Executive Council (1996 – 2004), Chairperson, Uganda Development Bank (1981-1986).
Credit: Daily Monitor
