Satisfashion UG readers have chosen Brenda Nanyonjo as their ‘Person of the Year for 2018’. The stylist has joined the coveted list of previous title holders Anne Kansiime, Sheebah Karungi and Brian Ahumuza.
Kezzi Entertainment took over the Miss Uganda franchise in 2011. Right away, Nanyonjo, who is the CEO of the enterprise took on the tough job of proving the relevance of the pageant. Since she had taken on the franchise at a time it was at its worst, first on her to-do list was to change people’s perceptions of it.
This was fine during the first three editions until it wasn’t. She and her team chose to change strategy. They decided to partner with Operation Wealth Creation, a relationship which gave the beauty pageant an ‘agriculture theme’. This wasn’t received well by the masses, because the idea of farming and pageantry in one wasn’t adding up. However, Nanyonjo paid no attention to the naysayers. She kept going.
Last year, she and her team decided to go on hiatus. This, they said, was because they needed to rethink the project before coming back bigger. Of course, a lot of us didn’t believe this. We thought the pageant had suffered too much, and Kezzi was ready to throw in the towel. However, this would later turn out to be the winning strategy.
Early this year, Kezzi came back, this time not alone, but with a partner, Talent Africa. The duo promised us a bigger, better and more impactful pageant. Still, a lot of us weren’t convinced. We thought it was risky. However, Nanyonjo had a plan under her sleeve, only she knew too well. During the preliminary stage of the pageant, a video of judges seeming to mock a contestant because of her failure to pronounce ‘Makerere’ right hit social media.
For a team who had just come together to reinvigorate the project, such a PR disaster was a real set back. Still, Nanyonjo and her team handled it with utmost professionalism. She vehemently defended the idea, that her team was searching for a worthy candidate to represent the country at Miss World, and that’s why they were keen on even the tiniest detail such as pronunciation.
22-year-old Quiin Abenakyo emerged winner of the crown at a glitzy event graced by socialite Zari Hassan as patron. Abenakyo later went to Miss World where she did wonders, finishing fourth, a first for Uganda, a country that has been competing at Miss World since 1967 with no memorable performance. Thanks to her, we can finally tell that Nanyonjo had a plan right from day one and was willing to go through with it regardless of whatever came her way. Yesterday, she and Abenakyo’s family were hosted by the president at his residence where he reaffirmed government’s intentions to support the project. Her dream right from day one, was to change people’s perceptions of the pageant, something that has finally come true.
Nanyonjo has always inspired us, thanks to her accomplished career as a stylist and makeup artist. Before anyone referred to themselves as stylist or makeup artist, she was already doing it. So, when her name up, we couldn’t agree more that she’s deserving of this title.
It’s going to be upon Abenakyo to prove herself now, but Nanyonjo and her team have done their job.
There’s always a hero in everything, and she’s been the hero of this pageant and of course, her dream.
Join us in celebration of Ms. Brenda Nanyonjo, ‘Satisfashion UG’s Person of the year for 2018’.
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See the full list of movers and shakers here.
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