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A Mother of Beauty! Brenda Nanyonjo Reflects On a Life of Service

An ode to her 45th birthday!

It’s only a few days to the finale of Miss Uganda, and Brenda Nanyonjo is busy! So, busy that her 9 am salon appointment changed shortly after taking her seat at Sean Mbajja’s plush beauty parlor. She quickly dashed off to meet with Joram Muzira, who is planning the Miss Uganda Top Model competition. “My self-care routine involves prioritizing my sleep. Even if I find it hard to fall asleep before midnight. I make up for it by sleeping in during morning hours; I make sure I don’t have morning meetings,” she tells me. But, today is different – all rules had to be broken. First of all; This particular edition of Miss Uganda is a celebration of 10 years since she took over the franchise. Secondly, she turned 45 years old today!

This explains why she is radiating such energy today. Unsurprisingly, Nanyonjo’s career journey is not one to describe as tranquil. All her life she has been doing more than three things at the same time, which has offered her the rare opportunity of being a singer, stylist, makeup artist, event manager, model, actor, and so much more all at a go. But now that she’s 45, her sight is set on slowing down and focusing on only the things that give her true joy. “I love fashion, I see myself going harder in that space. I also love the creative freedom acting gives me. I don’t think I’d go back fully into singing, maybe only live music and that would be live jazz because that’s my forte,” she muses.

For our March 2023 cover story, we sat down with the ‘Mother of Beauty’ on the upcoming Miss Uganda pageant, which is a celebration of 10 years with her at the helm, turning 45, and her many accomplishments.

Everyone in the business refers to you as ‘Mama’. You’re always in the background mothering beauty queens. How do you feel when the tables turn?

Before, it would disturb me, but now, I’ve learned to enjoy it. It’s hard to believe but it has taken me time to get familiar with this. In fact, my son Martin never tires of asking me to plan a photo shoot. He tells me that I need to cease putting other people first, and forgetting about myself. Truly, oftentimes during events, I’m worried about what the girls have to wear before I do for my own. Thankfully though, I have Martin who handles my glam team. And, to answer your question, yes it feels good not to worry about anything. To sit here, have my makeup done, and my hair coiffed, as I watch you guys pace up and about just to make sure that I look perfect, feels surreal.

Is a career in beauty something you’ve always wanted to do?

I would say yes! I grew up in a home where looking ‘well put together’ was non-negotiable. When leaving the house, one had to be wearing immaculately pressed clothes, clean polished shoes, you had to smell good. One of my aunties was a fashion designer, another was a hairstylist, and my mom was an actress. I don’t remember ever seeing them looking unkempt. And, naturally, that rubbed off me. From a very young age, it was clear to me that I’d end up in the beauty and creative industry.

Then, when did it occur to you that you’d not just work in the beauty business, but be front and center of the Miss Uganda pageant?

It’s funny because this came to me like an epiphany. I remember vividly it was 2004, and I was in a cab on my way from Kampala road to Garden City. We were slopping down the roundabout that has UBC and Crested Towers. That’s when it hit me that one day I’d have to do Miss Uganda. That wasn’t all. We would win a title we’ve never won and I’d host Miss World here. At the time, I was working with Miss Uganda under the stewardship of Sylvia Owori. Clearly, with the success of the pageant at the time, my thought was truly unfathomable.

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This same thought, however, returned with a force in 2011 after the Kyadondo bomb blasts. After praying about it, the answer I got was a ‘Yes’. I remember I was in London recovering when I got up and looked for the Miss World Office to broker a deal to take over the franchise.

Interesting! 10 years later, how do you describe the experience?

It has not been easy. The first year was hard and good all at once. I remember we knocked on so many doors that were shut in our faces, because two years in a row, the pageant had had a lot of controversies. Fortunately for me, people had seen and taken notice of my passion and professionalism when I worked with the pageant with Sylvia Owori. When we went to Nile breweries, I met with Daniel Ogong, he was skeptical at the beginning but still went ahead to take a chance on me. He said, “Brenda if you do it well and it comes out well, we shall sign long-term sponsorship. Indeed, the rest was history.

And, the funny thing is, after we had done everything and it came out well, all the people that hadn’t given us a chance wanted to then partner with us but it was too late, this was the grand finale.

I remember in 2014, I was pregnant and tired. I was considering leaving for maternity leave, in fact, I had already had my doctor’s approvals signed and sealed when I got the opportunity to meet Mr. Salim Saleh. Our theme that year was to promote agriculture, and because this was something he was passionate about, it almost came naturally. Initially, he thought I was a trickster. He told me that he thought Miss Uganda was all about girls wearing heels and looking good. “ No, we do so much more than that,” I told him. He then asked for a proposal and later signed to singlehandedly sponsor the pageant with $100,000 under the Namunkekera Rural Industrial center.

This particular edition got us a lot of local and global media attention. Rumors were, that, I had sold the franchise to the army and that story went viral. I was doing interviews from dawn to dusk. When Leah set afoot in London for Miss World, she was received with a lot of attention. Everyone was running to see the girl from Uganda. It was insane!

When you look back, what are your highlights?

2014 was a huge highlight. 2011 was another one.  I recall the New Vision opening with the headline saying ‘Nanyonjo underestimated herself and chose a small venue for Miss Uganda’, Monitor wrote, ‘Nanyonjo resurrects Miss Uganda’, and another said ‘Miss Uganda is Back’. It was, indeed, a pinch-me moment.

Then, in 2018 Quinn Abenakyo won the Miss World Africa title. Because of this, we hosted the Miss Uganda CEO in Uganda. That was a big deal for me and the country as a whole.

People here are still conflicted when it comes to pageantry, in your opinion, what’s the relevance of Miss Uganda?

Miss Uganda is all about empowering young women to believe in and value their potential because it is impossible to make anything work if you don’t believe in yourself. We also empower them to know who they are, and the fact that they are more poised to reach their full potential when they are aware of their unique capabilities. Through Miss Uganda, we have been blessed to mentor thousands of young ladies. Some of whom have grown into influential women. For that, I’m proud of what we’ve done, and believe that if we stick to our core values, the pageant will be relevant forever.

Your daughter is now 8, do you see her partaking in Miss Uganda?

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Yes, she’s been nagging me to do Little Miss Uganda for the longest time. I still feel she’s not yet ready. I believe in what pageants can do for young women, and I’ll most definitely let her do it when the time is right.

The question about our beauty standards clashing with those set by international platforms such as Miss World is still around. How much inclusion has happened so far?

We have a long way to go, but also have to acknowledge the change that has happened thus far. For example, Quin Abenakyo wasn’t the perfect slim girl you’d expect to see at a beauty pageant. But, she made the top 4. The fashion world is also following suit. Varied body shapes are getting representation. I think we just need to embrace change and also remember that European sizes aren’t the same as our own. That’s why I always make sure that when we are selecting girls for the grand finale there’s always someone curvy, someone who looks like me as a representation of other curvy women.

Let’s talk about you, you turned 45 today. What does that mean to you?

It means quite a lot. Globally, you are considered a ‘youth’ till the age of 45. So, this is my last year as a young person. I have a lot to process, but I haven’t had the time to yet. But as a whole, it is a huge milestone.

Have you figured out what your purpose is?

I think I figured that out very early. I think I was in S2. I recall that my parents wanted me to concentrate on science subjects, which I did well by the way. But, by S4 I had already found passion in the arts. I was more into music and drama. I was organizing events at school, and I would pick the people that were going to do what. It was clear that I’d end up in entertainment. As entertainers, we touch lives. We impact communities. We challenge the status quo. We create the beauty and light that makes living worthwhile. That is what I believe my purpose in life is.

Now that you’re celebrating 10 years, do you see yourself handing over to someone else?

I’d love it. It’s something I cannot stop thinking about. I don’t see myself at the helm for 10 years to come. Maybe 5. I’m not sure, but certainly not 10. So, passing it on is something I’m thinking about a lot. However, my successor should be someone I’ve mentored because I believe they would keep the values we have strongly protected. I’d love for them to be able to stand for our values as Ugandan women. And, not be swayed by what’s trending. Someone that will know that it’s about instilling values, self-belief, and motivation in young women. I say this as a mother would; it is so close to my heart, that it feels like it’s my child. However, I’ve mentored so many people. I believe it will not be hard seeing a potential successor.

I know it’s pretty scary to think about, but what do you see yourself doing then when the Miss Uganda franchise goes to another holder?

One thing is for sure, this face is going nowhere. I love fashion, I see myself going harder in that space. I also love the creative freedom acting gives me. I don’t think I’d go back fully into singing, maybe live music and that would be live jazz because that’s my forte. Otherwise, I won’t stop mentoring young women, touching lives, and having fun while doing it.

Lastly, do you feel accomplished?

I’d say I’m 60% there. There’s a level I’d want to see the Miss Uganda brand at and we aren’t there yet. Also, there’s still so much I believe I can do that I haven’t yet done. So, I’d say that the journey has only just begun. I’m quite excited about what the future holds, and I cannot wait to take on new challenges.

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Styling: Amorstyle

Rings & watch: Model’s own

Necklaces: Francesca Jewels Greece

Makeup: Claret of The Sununueffect

Hair: Mbajja Sean

Photography: Okulo Noor

Set: Agandy Studio

Creative Direction: Lyn Atwiine / Esquisse 256

hassan@satisfashionug.com

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