With just one month to the final gala, auditions for Miss Uganda 2010 kicked off last Saturday at Oak Restaurant behind Crested Towers.

And they were not short of surprises. Just when everyone prepared to go to Imperial Royale Hotel, which had been the communicated venue for the auditions, the venue was changed to little known Oak restaurant where the media launch was held a few weeks ago.

As if that wasn't surprising enough, the auditions, meant for Kampala alone, ended up being auditions for the entire country after the regionals were called off. And Joyce Church, the Director Miss Uganda, was nowhere to explain these changes.

Miss Uganda's Spokesperson, Dora Mwima who doubled as one of two judges explained that Miss Uganda "never went upcountry but we had scouts upcountry bringing in girls." The other judge was Diana Alifana.

"The first auditions we had this morning were for girls from upcountry," Mwima, the Miss Uganda 2008, told The Observer.

When The Observer asked to talk to some of the upcountry girls, Mwima said: "We had to release them because they had to arrange for their transport back home. We had girls from Fort Portal, some from Karamoja, Gulu and Jinja."

By 1pm, there were over 20 girls seated in the restaurant. The atmosphere was calm though you read tension on their faces.

The girls walked in and without a word and at the end of the catwalk, the judges would ask for the contestant's name before asking her to move back to the waiting room.

They were mainly university students and many looked like they had just walked out of bed straight to the auditions - no make-up or salon visits. A few had carried their make-up to the waiting room where they beautified themselves before facing the judges.

Alifana, who works with Akright Project as a Marketing Executive, was a Miss Uganda contestant in 2007 and the western regional winner. She was a judge at the 2008 Miss Uganda auditions.

"Every year, we keep getting different people. This year, the girls are really tall," Alifana told The Observer. But "if you look at the way they answer questions, it is the same old story." They all wanted to engage in charity work after they won the beauty contest.

But 25-year-old Heyzme Nansubuga was different: "I feel I can represent the youth in Uganda because we have so many ideas to share but we are not given a chance."

Nansubuga works with Kiboko, a company under P&G. According to Mwima, the auditions attracted 45 girls; 25 from upcountry and 20 from Kampala.

"The girls today have been more confident, more intelligent. I think we have our potential Miss Uganda," Mwima said. "They know exactly what they want and are not mixing the idea of modeling and beauty queen."

The top 15 girls will be announced this weekend.