Miss Uganda will cost sh240m

By Kalungi Kabuye The Miss Uganda 2001 beauty pageant will cost a total of sh240m, most of it from sponsors who have pledged to put up the money. The sponsorship will also include much of it in kind. This was revealed at a press conference held at the Crane Chambers on Wednesday. "All the money we need will actually come from the sponsors, and we are very lucky to have the confidence of these major corporations, given the reputation that former Miss Uganda competitions have had," Sylvia Owori, head of the Miss Uganda 2001 said. The biggest sponsor is MTN Uganda, who have pledged sh40m in cash, and other things in kind, including advertising. Uganda Breweries under its Bell brand will also give a package worth sh21m. TV Africa will make television documentaries of the regional finals, and a one-hour live recording that will be aired throughout Africa a day after the finals are held. Sudhir Ruparelia also gave sh21m on behalf of Sanyu FM. The regional preliminaries start on April 28 in Mbale at the Wash & Wills Hotel, with the second taking place in Lira at Lira Hotel on May 5. The next one will be in Mbarara on May 19 at the Lake View Hotel, and then Jinja on May 26 at the Jinja Town Hall. The last preliminary will be held in Kampala on June 2 at the Crane Chambers. The finals will be held on August 4 at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo. Among the prizes offered the winner is a one-year computer course, a car and the right to represent Uganda in the 2001 Miss World pageant. The first runner-up will win a return ticket to South Africa with US $500 spending money, and a foreign language course for six months. All the winners will also get an exclusive contract with Ziper Models. Ends