By Sebidde Kiryowa and Miles Rwamiti

With the task of organising a beauty pageant becoming a daunting one, the social affairs ministry at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) has come up with something different this year.

The institution will have a prom night on Saturday, March 24 at Kati Kati restaurant on Lugogo by-pass from 7:00pm. Entrance will be sh20,000 per head.

Originating from North America, a prom, short for promenade, is used to describe a formal dance held at the end of the high school academic year. The most common characteristic of a prom is the crowning of a prom King and Queen.

These are the most popular girl and boy as chosen by the students.

Diana Katto, the minister of social affairs at MUBS, says their prom night will be a bit different from a conventional one. “We shall incorporate some aspects of the former Miss MUBS into the event.”

The prom Queen and King will each win a plasma TV screen worth sh4m, a wall unit worth sh1m and a year’s scholarship from one of the sponsors. The first runners-up will get TV sets worth sh400,000 and DVD players worth sh200,000.

The third runners-up will get Motorola phones worth sh300,000.

Katto says nominating candidates for the prom will be done by students. “Students from each course shall vote for who they feel deserves to be king and queen via sms on 0712000000.”

She says they will shortlist 10 boys and 10 girls, who will be presented to a panel of judges.

The judges shall have a 70% say.

Meanwhile, Hellen Nyana reports that the search for Miss Uganda 2007 is on. It was launched on February 23, at the Serena Hotel by reigning beauty queen Praise Akankwatsa.

Last Saturday, MKM productions, the organisers of the pageant, held a press luncheon at the China Plate in Kisementi. They said they are looking for a lady of good conduct, between 18 and 24 years of age and has never had a child. They also said she should be at least five feet, four inches tall.

They said the search will begin in Gulu and the central search will be in Jinja on May 19. You can register online at www.missugandasite.com