Born in Gayaza, Wakiso District, Bernard Mubiru Sande’s love for motorsport didn’t arrive with a bang, a podium spray, or dramatic slow motion.
It crept in quietly, like a rally car idling impatiently at the start line years of dust, noise, and wide-eyed childhood fascination slowly tightening the harness around his heart.
His journey proves that some dreams don’t announce themselves; they just keep revving until you finally listen.
Benard’s childhood was unfairly rich in rally influence. While most kids collected football cards, he collected proximity to rally legends.
His father stayed in Mperelwe village, home to the iconic Chipper Adams, while their home village of Namayina placed them next door to Karim Hirji. Rally cars didn’t just pass through his world they attacked it at full throttle.
Whenever one blasted past, young Benard would freeze, hypnotized, absorbing dust like it was oxygen. To him, these weren’t reckless machines; they were destiny on wheels doing test runs past his gate.
Fuel on this already raging fire was his father a man whose love for rallying bordered on obsession. Weekends weren’t for resting; they were for rallies.
Kayunga and Kalagi became routine destinations, and Kasangati service park was Benard’s unofficial training academy.
While others learned spelling, he learned that mechanics can argue for 30 minutes about one bolt and that rally drivers always look serious even when lost.
Somewhere between roaring engines and flying gravel, he made a childhood vow: “One day, I’ll drive one of these monsters.”
Fast forward to 2020, and that promise came knocking loudly. With determination stronger than his budget, Benard bought a humble Toyota FX. I
t wasn’t quick, glamorous, or intimidating, but it had heart. Building it into a rally car was a test of patience, creativity, and emotional resilience. There were late nights, improvisation worthy of a village mechanic, and moments when the car behaved like it had its own opinions.
By the end of 2024, though, the FX had transformed from innocent daily driver to a machine that finally looked rally-ready.
Every driver needs a fearless navigator, and Benard found his in Hassan Kateregga.
The duo made their competitive debut at the Sisa Autocross 2025, an event where confidence is high, dust is unlimited, and everyone believes they’re championship material.
Against stiff competition, they claimed 3rd in the Cadet Class and 5th overall. The silverware mattered but the biggest win was finishing without mechanical heartbreak or philosophical regret.
Confidence boosted, Benard committed fully to the 2025 autocross season, contesting all four rounds. While others chased spectacular moments and parked prematurely in bushes, he chose consistency.
Quietly, methodically, he gathered points. When the dust settled, he stood 2nd overall in the Cadet Class, just behind Ian Hans proof that horsepower wins stages, but discipline wins seasons.
In 2026, Benard steps up to the CRC Class, where competition is tougher, speeds are higher, and mistakes are less forgiving.
True to character, he sticks with the Toyota FX, armed with a simple plan: finish cleanly and avoid unnecessary heroics. A top-three finish is the goal ambitious, yes, but grounded firmly in reality.
Like many rally drivers, Benard harbors a soft spot for the Ford Fiesta R5, admiring it as “a beauty at any event.” He looks at it the way many do with admiration, respect, and the understanding that it demands both money and bravery in equal measure.
Five years from now, Benard envisions Ugandan motorsport louder, faster, and more competitive, with more cars, sharper talent, and rising standards.
And when that future arrives bringing more dust, more noise, and more unforgettable momentsyou can be sure of one thing: Mubiru Sunday Benard will still be there, strapped in, visor down, chasing the dream that once roared past his childhood home.
