By Alex Masereka
Ever wondered who the new crème de la crème of Kampala is? We don’t mean socialites — a phrase that no longer holds value and is now used to describe girls who are popular on social media because of their good looks and “lavish” (read sponsored) lifestyle. We mean the girls in Kampala who define beauty, wealth, class and fashion; we shall call them slay queens.
Unlike a socialite, to be a slay queen you need to be more than popular and pretty. You need to be stylish with the latest designer clothes, bags and shoes, live a luxurious lifestyle that includes travelling to some of the world’s most exotic locations, well educated, and classy. To top it all off, slay queens only date fellow slay kings; men who are rich and good looking. We present to you the slay queens of Kampala:
1. NADIA MBIIRE MATOVU
Nadia Mbiire Matovu was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and as the daughter of the richest indigenous Ugandan, Charles Mbiire, she can have anything she wants at the snap of her fingers. Her Instagram profile is littered with photos of designer bags, clothes, shoes and watches which she gets on her frequent weekend trips to Dubai and South Africa. She knows how to dress her curvy figure just right, always keeping it classy.
Nadia is a jet-setter, and is constantly touring the world with her husband Yasser Matovu visiting five star destinations like the Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, as well as high-profile international events like Formula One in Abu Dhabi and The World Cup in Brazil.
When she’s in Kampala, Nadia likes to have fun by hanging out with only a select few friends (you have to be a fellow slay queen like Lucy Bunyenyezi to be in her circle) hosting exclusive small events from brunches to dinners to high teas to spa days and nail parties. She is also fond of flying in international acts to entertain her guests, including Jamaican duo Brick & Lace in 2008 for a private performance at her home, and American artist Tevin Campbell and Nigerian rapper Burna Boy for her wedding. Oh how we would sell our souls for an invite!
Although she lives a lavish lifestyle, don’t let that fool you; she is well educated with a Bachelors in Politics and a Masters in international business management and marketing. She currently works as a business analyst at Deloitte, one of the leading firms in accounting and consulting worldwide.
Nadia got married to Yasser Matovu, the son to ceramic tiles mogul Yusuf Matovu of Youma Builders, in a series of lavish wedding ceremonies last year, including a reception in South Africa. Looking at the lovely couple, one can only imagine how adorable the future little Matovu’s will be.
2. CYNTHIA KAJOBA
Cynthia is the daughter of tycoon Robert Sekidde, a business man with a multi-billion shilling investment portfolio and owner of Seroma Ltd., the biggest hardware dealership in Uganda. Needless to say, Cynthia is Sekidde’s princess and he loves to spend on his daughter. Cynthia is always showing off the latest trends as seen on her Instagram and style blog, and is quite literally an award winning fashionista, having won the ABRYANZ ASFA award for Ugandans best fashionista in 2016.
Cynthia only hangs out with fellow rich kids, with one of her best friends being Esther Chanelle Musisi, daughter of KCCA Executive director Jennifer Musisi. They both enjoy the high life and frequent Dubai together when they get bored of the Kampala Scene. Cynthia’s other favourite destinations are South Africa, Turkey and Thailand, where she goes with her hubby to relax.
Cynthia was raised in a strict Christian home, so she doesn’t party much. Instead she enjoys hosting lavish dinners for her close friends, always ensuring to have the best decorators. Recently for her one year wedding anniversary she hosted a lavish dinner at Protea hotel. Cynthia got married to Solomon Kajoba, the son of tycoon William Kajoba who owns Sojovalo Hotel, in an expensive wedding last year. The two are slay queen and king royalty.
Following in her father’s footsteps, after graduating with a degree in marketing, Cynthia ventured into becoming a business woman. She currently owns a high end fashion store in Kisimenti called Halo Collections, where fellow slay queens shop from.
3. LUCY BUNYENYEZI
A pioneer in her own right, Lucy, the daughter of tycoon Ezra Bunyenyezi, stands out amongst slay queens, because unlike the typical rich kid, she engages her peers regardless of status, social ranking and background. Nevertheless, Lucy loves the good life which is evident via her social media posts. Lucy is a fashion guru and loves designer clothes so much that she spends thousands of dollars to attend New York Fashion week, to get a first pick at the seasons latest designer trends.
Lucy currently resides in New York, where she parties at the hottest clubs like Tao and Beauty & Essex, mingling with celebs such as Ty Hunter-Beyoncés stylist. She enjoys trips to Miami and Zanzibar and is rarely ever in Uganda. However, when she does come back she can often be found on private boat cruises on Lake Victoria or lounging at the Hotel Serena Spa.
Having graduated from the University of Brighton with a honours degree, Lucy is currently attending the world renown New York Film Academy, which only accepts a handful of students every year, where she is pursuing acting.
Lucy is dating Henry Mulira of the prominent and Buganda aristocratic Mulira family.
Next week part 2 of our article will be published. Who do you think should be added onto the list?