How wine kicked down Golola

Golola poses for a photo on the bombardier before its departure to Nairobi on Tuesday. Photo by Eddie Ssejjoba

When national kickboxing champion Moses Golola is not in the ring fighting, he is running his mouth. His repertoire of jokes has won him fans. On Tuesday as Uganda Airlines launched its inaugural flight to Nairobi, Kenya, his jiu-jitsu kick was the memento.

It was discussed even more than the specifics of the newly commissioned Bombardier CRJ900 and the Prime Minister's speech. If Golola won over social media fans with his antics as he boarded, he did little to endear himself to government officials, politicians, and other guests on the flight.

If you are still wondering who soiled the Bombardier with vomit, well it was Moses Golola. Why? It was a cocktail of the hangover, overeating and perhaps motion sickness. His mouth was in overdrive; he talked loudly as the cabin crew gave passengers vital tips. When it came to time for eats, Golola, a self-confessed Born-Again man, mistook wine for porridge. 

Of course, the supply of wine inflight was unlimited. It only did well to whet his appetite. In Nairobi at a cocktail after the launch, all tribes of drinks were at his disposal. He did justice to the drinks and injustice to himself.

After drinking up a storm, he blacked out on the return journey. It was, however, all He was talking and laughing heartily and started staggering. In the washroom, he was heard still singing hymns and speaking to himself.

Well as many had prayed for the moment he would go quiet. However, like an extinct volcano that suddenly erupts without giving signs, Golola let off a volley of ‘magma' spewing on himself.

He soiled the pristine white seats with what appeared a cocktail of meatballs, sausages, and fish fingers. To say the cabin crew members were disgusted and shocked would be an understatement. They acted professional and let it pass. Some people stole pictures though.

HOW IT ALL STARTED
Golola missed out on the inauguration ceremony held at Entebbe International Airport. He arrived moments before the plane took off and was given a seat in the business class. At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he posed for pictures but Kenyan journalists were not so keen on his theatrics.

He, however, declared that he had been invited as the Uganda Airlines ambassador, a role he said he was happy to play. On arrival, the guests were ushered in at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel where the transport minister, Monica Azuba, Kenyan minister for East African affairs, Adan Muhamad and Uganda's high commissioner to Kenya, Phoebe Otaala addressed journalists.

It was after his meal and giving interviews to journalists that Golola was seen standing near the bar counter, where he ordered several glasses of beer, sometimes wine. As guests were asked to move into buses and check-in, Golola stayed behind. He knocked down glasses of wine and bottles of beer interchangeably.

Prior to that, unaware of his condition, several guests asked to pose for pictures and took ‘selfies' with him. One of the aviation officials, Hannington Banyendera, the director for finance, was shocked when Golola lifted his daughter soon after posing for pictures with him.

The official tried to pull down the daughter, who almost fell down as Golola swayed her to the amazement of guests in the hotel gardens. At the check-in with immigration, it became evident that something was amiss.

He was talking and laughing heartily and started staggering to the surprise of the security personnel. When he was cleared with the security, his legs became too weak.

One of the journalists, realising the mess, asked an airport security officer to support his walk down the stairs back to the plane but he rejected the offer, saying he would become a "laughing stock".

Staggering, Golola waved his boarding pass and the Kenyan aviation team was happy to see the back of him. Golola, however, spent some time trying to engage the cabin crew members at the main entrance, blocking other guests from taking their seats.

At this moment, the aircraft management decided to change his seat and a female member persuaded him to occupy the last seat, near the restrooms. They preferred to take him to the last seat where they could isolate him to enable them to monitor his conduct, replacing a photographer who had occupied the seat.

The seat next to him was left vacant. Golola, laughing and heaping praises on government for having secured brand new planes, asked to be allowed to visit the loos but he spent several minutes in the washroom, where he was heard, still singing hymns and speaking to himself.

He was called out as the plane was about to take off. A cabin crew member helped him fasten his seat. The engine started and soon after stabilising in the air, Golola fell asleep, giving a big relief to the crew members. They served drinks and snacks but they did not wake him up.

Moments before landing, Golola woke up, looked around visibly still in deep sleep and started vomiting, soiling the seats and window. The cabin crew, disturbed by the incident, however, played it cool and tried to guard him against the rest of the passengers.

Actually, many left without realising something was wrong with the kickboxer. Someone, however, took his picture. They all looked puzzled as to how they would wash him, lift him up and clean the seats.

The workers ordered him to remain seated. The rest of the passengers were asked to disembark. It was not clear how he was removed from the plane and how he went back home.