Caressing Bell Lager On Victoria
Dec 09, 2003
The Venue: The ferry, The Queen Victoria. Friday, December 5. The Ticket: The Bell Lager Sunset Cruise, which signalled the start of the party season. At the Luzira pier to meet us as we boarded, were UBL chairman Dr. Martin Aliker, managing director Chris Emptage and marketing manager ,Brenda Mba
By Timothy Bukumunhe
The Venue: The ferry, The Queen Victoria. Friday, December 5. The Ticket: The Bell Lager Sunset Cruise, which signalled the start of the party season. At the Luzira pier to meet us as we boarded, were UBL chairman Dr. Martin Aliker, managing director Chris Emptage and marketing manager ,Brenda Mbathi.
The Dress Code: Like on previous Sunset Cruises, the card read ‘dress flamboyant’. Bell who were the hosts, didn’t adhere to their own requests. Most of the staff simply donned yellow short sleeved shirts, while guests from MTN pushed the boat out and showed us what flamboyancy was all about.
The Crowd: MTN’s Aggrey Kagonyera and Rita Okuthe, Stanbic’s Kitili Mbathi, Camille Aliker, New Vision’s William Pike and Robert Kabushenga, Mike and Millie Doherty and Thomas Omamo, Jimmy Bageire all of MCL MCann, Patrick Adengo formerly of SDV Transami, Okello and Ann Aliker, Dru Ndawula of Monitor FM, Njoroge Karanja of Sanyu FM, utl’s Hans Paulsen, Patrick ‘OPP’ Oyulu and David Galukande of Saatchi and Saatchi, Sheraton General Manager, Sanjeev Gohlan, UWEC’s Goretti Masadde, designer Santa Anzo and a bevy of her models, Steven Kavuma of The Venue, Richard Etemesi and David Cutting of Standard Chartered Bank, Vipul Thakrar of Tilda rice, Bent Andersen of Maersk and wife Nada, as well as Peter Fullham of East African Breweries.
The Celebrity Count: Next to zero, I am afraid unless of course you think Super FMs Peter Sematimba, tycoon Charles Mbire, lawyer Alan Shonubi and Elvis Wavamunno are Celebes.
The Noticeable Absentees: From UBL Nick Brooks and Marion Adengo. Eva Adengo, The Studio’s David Case, former German Ambassador Klaus and his wife Madeleine Holderbaum, Simba Blankets William Kalema, Ian and Robbie Clarke, Erik van Veen and Thomas Bragaw, both formerly of MTN as well as Philip Besiimere, designer Sylvia Owori, property mogul Sudhir Ruparelia, Kawalya Kanyerezi, Annette Nakalema, John Katto and Jessica Kyeyune.
The Paparazzi Count: Albert Ayiga, Dennis Jjuuko, Sebidde Kiryowa, Kalungi Kabuye and Emmy Olaki all of New Vision. Evelyn Kiapi, Elizabeth Kameo, Eddie Chicco Moses Serugo and Bruno Birakwate from The Monitor. Belinda Namutebi of Sanyu FM, Christine and Alex Ndawula of Capital FM and Chris Eritu of WBS.
Who took centre stage: Tycoon Charles Mbire and Super FM’s Peter Sematimba did. Mbire simply because he is THE Charles Mbire and Sematimba because in his red blazer and black trousers he simply stood out from the rest of us.
The Drink: Tusker, Bell, Pilsner, Uganda Waragi, Bond 7, V& A and a whole host of other drinks which fall under the UBL portfolio.
Length of queue to get a drink: As we set off about three minutes to get served but as the cruise went on it took less than 30 seconds.
On the canapé tray: Samosas, muchomo, fish fingers, chicken — the usual offerings.
What everybody was talking about: What was the subject of the intense discussion taking place between Charles Mbire and Alan Shonubi and last year UBL dished out T-shirts — what will they give us this time?
The Sounds: KADS band minus lead singer Romeo Akiki were on board to entertain, while Silk mobile provided the music and as a bonus, people were free to do some karaoke singing, if they so wished.
Wrap-up time: Well past 8:00pm when the Queen Victoria docked and unlike previous Sunset Cruises, this time we did leave empty handed. There were no freebie T-shirts as has been the norm.
Ends
The Venue: The ferry, The Queen Victoria. Friday, December 5. The Ticket: The Bell Lager Sunset Cruise, which signalled the start of the party season. At the Luzira pier to meet us as we boarded, were UBL chairman Dr. Martin Aliker, managing director Chris Emptage and marketing manager ,Brenda Mbathi.
The Dress Code: Like on previous Sunset Cruises, the card read ‘dress flamboyant’. Bell who were the hosts, didn’t adhere to their own requests. Most of the staff simply donned yellow short sleeved shirts, while guests from MTN pushed the boat out and showed us what flamboyancy was all about.
The Crowd: MTN’s Aggrey Kagonyera and Rita Okuthe, Stanbic’s Kitili Mbathi, Camille Aliker, New Vision’s William Pike and Robert Kabushenga, Mike and Millie Doherty and Thomas Omamo, Jimmy Bageire all of MCL MCann, Patrick Adengo formerly of SDV Transami, Okello and Ann Aliker, Dru Ndawula of Monitor FM, Njoroge Karanja of Sanyu FM, utl’s Hans Paulsen, Patrick ‘OPP’ Oyulu and David Galukande of Saatchi and Saatchi, Sheraton General Manager, Sanjeev Gohlan, UWEC’s Goretti Masadde, designer Santa Anzo and a bevy of her models, Steven Kavuma of The Venue, Richard Etemesi and David Cutting of Standard Chartered Bank, Vipul Thakrar of Tilda rice, Bent Andersen of Maersk and wife Nada, as well as Peter Fullham of East African Breweries.
The Celebrity Count: Next to zero, I am afraid unless of course you think Super FMs Peter Sematimba, tycoon Charles Mbire, lawyer Alan Shonubi and Elvis Wavamunno are Celebes.
The Noticeable Absentees: From UBL Nick Brooks and Marion Adengo. Eva Adengo, The Studio’s David Case, former German Ambassador Klaus and his wife Madeleine Holderbaum, Simba Blankets William Kalema, Ian and Robbie Clarke, Erik van Veen and Thomas Bragaw, both formerly of MTN as well as Philip Besiimere, designer Sylvia Owori, property mogul Sudhir Ruparelia, Kawalya Kanyerezi, Annette Nakalema, John Katto and Jessica Kyeyune.
The Paparazzi Count: Albert Ayiga, Dennis Jjuuko, Sebidde Kiryowa, Kalungi Kabuye and Emmy Olaki all of New Vision. Evelyn Kiapi, Elizabeth Kameo, Eddie Chicco Moses Serugo and Bruno Birakwate from The Monitor. Belinda Namutebi of Sanyu FM, Christine and Alex Ndawula of Capital FM and Chris Eritu of WBS.
Who took centre stage: Tycoon Charles Mbire and Super FM’s Peter Sematimba did. Mbire simply because he is THE Charles Mbire and Sematimba because in his red blazer and black trousers he simply stood out from the rest of us.
The Drink: Tusker, Bell, Pilsner, Uganda Waragi, Bond 7, V& A and a whole host of other drinks which fall under the UBL portfolio.
Length of queue to get a drink: As we set off about three minutes to get served but as the cruise went on it took less than 30 seconds.
On the canapé tray: Samosas, muchomo, fish fingers, chicken — the usual offerings.
What everybody was talking about: What was the subject of the intense discussion taking place between Charles Mbire and Alan Shonubi and last year UBL dished out T-shirts — what will they give us this time?
The Sounds: KADS band minus lead singer Romeo Akiki were on board to entertain, while Silk mobile provided the music and as a bonus, people were free to do some karaoke singing, if they so wished.
Wrap-up time: Well past 8:00pm when the Queen Victoria docked and unlike previous Sunset Cruises, this time we did leave empty handed. There were no freebie T-shirts as has been the norm.
Ends