Parliament speaker Rebecca Kadaga has come to the rescue of newly crowned Miss Tourism, Phionah Kyeru after officials from the Ministry of Tourism failed to raise Shs11m for her air ticket.
Kyeru, after emerging winner of the pageant, is supposed to represent Uganda at the global stage in Malaysia. However, she was left stranded when ministry officials disassociated themselves from the trip over ‘high expenses’.
With the Ministry doors closed, Kyeru knocked on Kadaga’s door who is the board chair for Busoga Tourism for help.
“The ministry officials on being presented with budget for her (Kyeru’s) travel to Malaysia, started speaking a completely different language. Many of them went missing and unavailable immediately,” a source privy to the details told Nile Post
A disappointed Kadaga donated two return air tickets to the Miss Tourism and her chaperone and expressed disappointment in ministry officials.
“It hurts that these youths keep coming up to market Uganda, however, no one motivates them with materials and finance. They only come at the airport to pick them and take pictures and make speeches,” Kadaga said.
The speaker also revealed that Miss Uganda, Quinn Abenakyo faced the same situation and everyone abandoned her when the time for flying out to China came, but of winning the Miss World Africa title, everyone gathered to be part of her life.
This is not the first time the Ministry is on spot for deserting their won projects. In 2015, the ministry was under the spotlight when they failed to sponsor one of the Miss Tourism queens to Malaysia.
The candidate found her to Malaysia and made emerged third. The ministry then sent officials with a limousine to the airport to pick her up and a standoff between officials and the girl’s family ensued.