Michelle Nekesa, a rising Ugandan model first featured by Kampala Edge Times in 2023, has officially entered the national spotlight as one of the contestants advancing in the Miss Uganda 2025 competition. Her journey from a creative model with bold ambitions to a strong contender in Uganda’s most prestigious beauty pageant signals a powerful evolution in her public profile. Just for the record, the 5 star model says she has officially dropped the ‘Herman’ stage name and now officially identifies as Michelle Nekesa.
I had an interesting conversation with the confident glamorous young aspirant and this is everything she told me.
“Nekesa Michelle came in through the Kampala pre-selection and was selected to the next round. Being the daughter of a teenage mother who raised me to be a great citizen, I am advocating for teenage mothers and single mothers who are mentally and financially unstable and go through a lot. With my valuable experience, I want to give them a voice.
Nekesa is a Luhya name that represents a strong, resilient, hardworking woman and a great harvest. I am a 25-year-old from Tororo District, and I pursued a diploma in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing and Sales. I work with Aristoc Booklex, where I got most of my inspiration—especially after reading Queen Olivia Nakakande’s book Escape. I knew I had to become a queen one day.
I was in my Form Six during one of our prep times when I watched Queen Abenaakyo being crowned. I got inspired, although I didn’t know I would ever join the Miss Uganda pageant. My journey started from the Kampala pre-selection, and I was selected for the next round. Being the result of a teenage mother who was bullied and humiliated by society but still didn’t hesitate to raise me as a great citizen, I figured out a way of appreciating her strength—by joining the biggest women’s platform in Uganda, the Miss Uganda fraternity.
Through this journey, I want to represent and advocate for teenage and single mothers who are mentally and financially unstable and go through so much. With my experience, I want to give them a voice.”
When did we first meet Nekesa?
We first met Michelle—then a student and fashion enthusiast—in an exclusive Kampala Edge Times feature and video interview where she opened up about her modeling inspirations, her passion for the arts, and her aspirations beyond the runway. At the time, she expressed a desire to break barriers in Uganda’s creative industry, drawing inspiration from global icons like Lupita Nyong’o and regional trailblazers such as Zeeggy Mercy and Mariama Diallo.
Today, that ambition has taken tangible form.
Nekesa is among the select contestants who have successfully passed the first round of selections and now stand ready to compete at the national level in the Miss Uganda 2025 race. According to the Miss Uganda Organization, the 2025 pageant began with regional auditions earlier this year, with pre-selection events taking place across the country—including one hosted at Motiv in Kampala. Michelle Nekesa auditioned under the Kampala Region category and was shortlisted to proceed to the next level.
Regional competitions for Miss Uganda 2025 have since intensified. The West Nile regional final was held in early July, where Alobo Janet Patricia was crowned queen in a vibrant televised show aired on StarTimes Uganda. The Kampala Region finale, where Nekesa earned her spot, concluded in July at Motiv, marking one of the most competitive selections in recent years.
With all regions now represented, the national race is officially underway. Miss Uganda 2025 is shaping up to be one of the tightest contests in the pageant’s recent history, featuring a mix of new talent and seasoned models vying for the national crown. The grand finale is expected to take place between September and October 2025, although the official date has not yet been confirmed by the organizers.
Nekesa Michelle’s entry into the Miss Uganda race is not only a personal triumph but also a validation of her consistent efforts in self-expression, branding, and modeling. She represents a new generation of Ugandan women—confident, self-driven, and unapologetically ambitious.
From being featured in Kampala’s cultural spaces and online platforms to competing for the national crown, Nekesa’s journey reflects a growing shift in how Uganda’s youth are shaping their own narratives in beauty, fashion, and leadership.
As the Miss Uganda 2025 finale approaches, all eyes will be on Michelle Nekesa and her fellow regional winners. Will she go all the way? Uganda—and indeed the world—will be watching.
