Former Miss Tourism Wins Northern Uganda Youth MP Seat

Former Miss Tourism Uganda, Elma Challa Kapel, has been elected the Northern Uganda Youth Member of Parliament after a closely watched vote held on Tuesday at Mvara Secondary School in Arua City.

Kapel, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer, won the race decisively after polling 1,245 votes, defeating Wacha Elizabeth Shakira of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), who garnered 343 votes. Amolo Elizabeth of the Democratic Party (DP) received eight votes, while five ballot papers were declared invalid.

The election, conducted by accredited youth delegates from across Northern Uganda, was delayed by late accreditation and the delayed release of facilitation funds. Voting eventually commenced at 1:00 p.m. and concluded at 6:25 p.m., with tallying beginning nine minutes later in the presence of party agents, security personnel, and election observers.

While declaring the results, Juma Shesha, the West Nile Regional Election Officer who supervised the exercise, announced that 1,601 votes had been cast, of which 1,596 were valid.

In her acceptance speech, Kapel pledged to lead through consultation, inclusion, and collective action, promising to amplify the voices of young people from Northern Uganda in the 12th Parliament.

She emphasised that her leadership would prioritise meaningful youth participation and effective advocacy, arguing that many previous youth representatives had fallen short of fully representing young people’s interests.   

Wacha Elizabeth Shakira, said she would accept the outcome, provided the electoral process was conducted in a free and fair manner.   

Kapel, who hails from Kotido District in the Karamoja sub-region, first rose to national prominence after winning Miss Tourism Uganda 2017, a platform she used to promote Uganda’s tourism, culture, and heritage both locally and internationally.

She later transitioned into community development and youth advocacy, working with organisations focused on youth empowerment and leadership development. Kapel holds a Master’s degree in Global Logistics, Operations and Supply Chain Management, a First-Class degree in Global Business Management, and a degree in Media and Drama, all obtained from universities in the United Kingdom.