The five males that will represent Uganda at the Miss/Mr Albinism East Africa in Nairobi later this month. At the back is Mr Albinism 2018/19 Simon Peter Okwi. Photo by Charles Kakamwa

Olive Auma, a health practitioner has emerged winner of Miss Albinism Uganda 2018/19 while the Mr Albinism title was scooped by Simon Peter Okwi, a lawyer.

They were announced winners after beating off stiff competition from 20 other contenders at the inaugural Miss/Mr Albinism Uganda held at Bax Conference and Recreation Centre in Jinja town on Saturday.

Auma is based in Moroto district while Okwi works with Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.

The competition under the theme ‘Beauty Beyond the Skin’, was organised by Source of the Nile Union of Persons with Albinism (SNUPA) in partnership with Albinism Society of Kenya.

The top ten finishers will represent Uganda at this year’s Miss/Mr Albinism East Africa on November 30, 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The group is expected to travel to Nairobi on November 19 to join colleagues from Kenya and Tanzania in preparation for the grand finale.

Others include Brenda Bonabana from Mbarara and a student at Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Joanita Namusabi from Luwero, Elizabeth Nekesa from Mbale, and Mary Phiona Namale also a student at MUBS from Mityana.

Besides Okwi, other males are Paul Wakibona a student of Art and Industrial Design at Kyambogo University, Fagil Kyagira, Sharif Obbo from Luuka district and Ivan Sunday Sabiti.

The pageant attracted contestants from all walks of life including lawyers, teachers, administrators, health professionals, the business community and students.

Sharon Halima, the Albinism Society of Kenya programs manager, said the pageant started in Kenya in 2016 before Uganda and Tanzania joined.

She explained that the major objective of the contest was to bring awareness to the rights of people living with albinism and building confidence in them so as to end marginalisation.

“We want to live in a society where people with albinism are accorded the same rights and opportunities as anyone else including access to education, healthcare, property and employment,” she said.

Fazira Kawuma, the executive director of SNUPA, noted that such events build self-esteem and confidence among people with albinism thus ending rights violations.