Let’s talk to Miss Curvy organisers ‘quietly’ – Museveni

President Museveni has weighed in on the ongoing debate about Miss Curvy beauty contest, saying the organisers are ‘young creative minds.’

While addressing journalists this week after the Presidential Investors’ Round table discussions, the President said although Cabinet did not endorse the proposal, he suspects that organisers want to ride on the international mileage brought about by Quiin Abenakyo, who was named Ms. World Africa in China last year.

“The young people, in their thinking must have said if beauty is a selling point for a country and the world, let’s be creative,” President Museveni said in a statement circulated by his press team.

Last week, junior tourism minister Godfrey Kiwanda launched the contest that has since come under condemnation from women activists and some high level offices in government.

The minister this week said Miss Curvy is a private initiative. I was invited there to offer support and I think people lack information about the pageant,” Mr Kiwanda said.

But Museveni said, “I suspect these young people were being creative. One of these young people Ann Mungooma is a sharp shooter. Her father was an officer in the army who represented Uganda in shooting, she is good. We should talk to them quietly,” the President argued.

Mungooma is the brains behind the contest.

“I suspect that when Abenakyo won the beauty contest, in their simple reasoning they started this and talked to Kiwanda. We shall advise them and understand where they are coming from. They may have thought if beauty is good, how about structure,” he said.

The President cautioned that instead of criticising these young people, they should talk to them and handle them with sympathy.

Though short of endorsing the pageant, the President asked ‘what was the boundary between beauty?’

“If you can compete for beauty (Nalulungi), how about structure (Nabitege). I can’t explain to my young people that Nalulungi is more beautiful than Nabitege. How do you say who is right? This whole idea started with appearance. If you appreciate one, why not the other? We should discuss if appearance is an issue. Maybe we made a mistake by appreciating Nalulungi.”

He added: “The President said the whole country encouraged Ms. World Africa Abenakyo to sell Uganda. “If we did that, were we right, only slim ones? Of course people should not come to look at our women.