Capping an eventful week, Ugandan model was crowned Miss World Africa at a glitzy event on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on Saturday.
Quiin Abenakyo was crowned at the 68th Miss World by last year’s winner, Manushi Chhillar, in the coastal city of Sanya.
The model and beauty queen was the first Miss Uganda to reach the Top 5 of the international beauty pageant that is almost seven decades old.
The Ugandan beauty was one of 118 contestants who competed for the Miss World 2018 crown.
The colourful ceremony included US group sister Sledge performing their 1979 disco anthem “We Are Family.”
A Mexican model and volunteer Vanessa Ponce de Leon, 26 was crowned the 68th Miss World.
First runner up was Thailand’s Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan, a 20-year-old studying business administration.
Miss Belarus Maria Vasilevich, Miss Uganda Quiin Abenakyo and Miss Jamaica Kadijah Robinson were also among the final five.
It is the eighth time the Miss World final has been held in Sanya, with the first one having been hosted in 2003.
Putting the international beauty pageant aside, Uganda also continued to do well on the global charts in terms of having some of the world’s tourism hotspots.
Uganda, according to the National Geographic Travelers Cool list, will be among the 19 key destinations that tourists must look out for in 2019 if they are to get value for their money.
The National Geographic magazine, US-based travel destination publication named Uganda one of the top 4 cool travel destinations in Africa and 16 in the world according to the new travel rankings of 2019.
The list, according to the magazine, places features everything from futuristic cityscapes and modernist architecture to pristine rain-forest and rehabilitated wildlife especially the gorillas and tree climbing lions.
In the same week, former motor rally champion Charles Muhangi, aged 65, was found dead in his bed Thursday morning at his home in Buziga.
The deceased according to a story carried by Daily Monitor was scheduled to meet President Museveni and his business rivals Drake Lubega and Mansoor Matovu, alias Young, on a day he died.
The meeting was among others to resolve the wrangle over the ownership of Qualicel Bus Terminal.
Pundits say his death could escalate the property ownership wrangle.
Both Muhangi and his adversaries spent the better part of Wednesday waiting for a call from State House for the meeting although Mr Matovu and Mr Lubega declined to confirm whether they were scheduled to meet Mr Museveni.
On postmortem, Police pathologists ruled out foul play in his sudden death but his friends and relatives, including those who were with him hours before his demise, believe there was an evil hand involved.
The sudden nature of his death triggered suspicion among relatives prompting them to ask police to allow the family witness the post-mortem with participation of their private doctors.
Five private doctors among who was Muhangi’s personal physician only identified as Dr Mworozi, Dr Moses Byaruhanga and Dr Sam Kalungi and two other doctors recommended by Muhangi’s family to witness the process. The report indicates he died of natural causes.
At regional level, differences between political leaders and conflicting national interests have once again cropped up to threaten the integration of the East African Community member states.
This, according to experts brings back memories of the 1977 break-up of its precursor.
This was after Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza claimed his counterpart President Paul Kagame is plotting a plan to unseat his democratically elected government sparking off the controversy that could cost the regional integration.
Experts fault Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni who is the EAC chairman of failure to settle the controversy between the two neighboring States.
On November 30, the 20th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC heads of state ended in disarray after Burundi boycotted, angry at how its concerns had been handled by the current EAC chairman.
President Museveni was forced to call off the meeting and reschedule it to December 27 citing lack of quorum.
As the issues simmer under the surface, some observers say the Community could be staring at a repeat of 1977 due to unresolved personality clashes.
Other issues at had include commercial interests and security issues among the partner states.
In 1977, the break-up was caused by the ideological differences between Kenya and Tanzania, and personal differences between Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere and Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Getting back to Uganda, in a fresh row with Police, MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine earlier this week lashed out at the government accusing them of frustrating his income streams.
This was after Police on “orders from above” cancelled his own concerts countrywide.
On Friday Police stopped the Galaxy FM annual Zzina Festival from going on at One Love Beach also owned by MP.
“I am doing music as may business because it is how I support my family. From how I see it, the government is working hard to make sure I run broke,” Bobbi Wine said.
“The government stopped me from doing the Kyarenga Concert at Namboole Stadium, I took it to Busabala. But ever since, the police has been cancelling my other shows countrywide. Not even this one [Zzina Fest] where I am not singing, it has been cancelled,” Bobi Wine added.
Police however, denied blocking music concerts organized by Bobi Wine, in different parts of the country.
Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said police had held a meeting with the singer and explained to him why his music shows could be authorized to happen.
Mr Kayima said Bobi Wine simply announced that he was to have music shows in places like Mityana and Gulu but did not provide supporting documents among other agreements from owners of places he intended to his concerts and plan on how to handle the number of revellers that could turn up for his shows.
In others news, revellers flocked Lugogo Cricket Oval on Friday for the legend ‘Saba Saba’ concert of Jose Chameleone.
The big music concert dubbed “Saba Saba” left revellers wanting for more and more as Chameloene delivered exceptional performance.
His former bitter rival in the early 2000’s Bobi Wine made a surprise appearance at show also entertaining revellers.
The duo cracked jokes including reminding themselves of those bitter days when they used to fight.
On grabbing the microphone, Bobi Wine, also cracked a joke at Chameleone when he mimed that “One day you say you’re People Power, another day you say you’re Movement,” sending revelers into laughter.
But as thousands enjoyed themselves at Lugogo, Ugandan faction stars were at Serena Hotel in Kampala showcasing at a popular event the Abrayanz. 
The Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards held Friday, December 7 set a high bar for fashion in Africa.
Revellers said Abryanz is an exclusive pictorial into one Africa’s most sought for Fashion awards.
