What started as a battle for national pride turned into a full-blown raid when Kenya’s Karan Patel and co-driver Tauseef Khan invaded Ugandan territory and stole the crown right under our noses. It was supposed to be our time to shine. Our chance to show that Uganda rules the gravel. But instead, we got schooled in our own backyard.
To be fair, the gods of rally teased us early on. Samman Vohra, the man we didn’t even know we needed, stepped up in the absence of our rally general Jas Mangat, who mysteriously vanished from duty when we needed him most. Vohra led from the word go on Friday, commanding the stages with pace in his Skoda Fabia R5. But as fate would have it, things took a turn on Saturday, his car kissed the earth a little too hard, damaging critical front components and forcing him out of contention.
That was all the invitation Karan Patel needed. Like a patient hunter, he waited in the shadows, seized the moment, and bolted to the front, never looking back. The Kenyan didn’t just win. He dominated. Clean. Calculated. Cold-blooded.
Meanwhile, our very own Yasin Nasser and co-driver Ali Katumba tried to wave the Ugandan flag high. Their Ford Fiesta gave all it could, but when it came to the final stages, the car began gasping for breath. Yasin dropped to 4th overall, but salvaged some dignity with a 2nd-place NRC finish, keeping his ARC leaderboard top spot intact with 63 points.
But let’s take a moment to thank the rally gods for one man, Duncan “Kikankane” Mubiru. The myth. The man. The sideways king. With Joseph Kamya beside him and fire in his belly, Kikankane brought his Ford Fiesta NRC Proto into beast mode. He didn’t let the Kenyan storm sweep us completely, finishing 2nd overall and proudly holding up the Ugandan banner. Imagine the shame if no Ugandan had touched the podium. Duncan didn’t let that happen.
In the shadows of the big boys, rising stars Musa Segaabwe and Mathias Kiyegga were quietly having one of their best runs until a troublesome Y-arm almost ended it all. Still, they dug deep, managing a solid 5th overall, and now proudly sit 2nd in the NRC with 132.5 points.
Peter Kalule and David Mwesigwa drove not just for points but in memory. After a heartbreaking personal loss, Peter put in a brave performance in his Subaru FX to finish 6th overall. Didas Matsiko and Joseph Bongole followed closely in 7th, with Joshua Muwanguzi putting in an impressive shift for 8th.
Ronald Sebuguzi and Anthony Mugambwa had one of those weekends you want to forget but never will. Different problems as early as stage 2 saw them lose valuable time. The recovery drive was strong, but the damage had been done they ended up 9th overall but snuck into 1st on the NRC standings. Not a bad outcome for a troubled ride.
Then came the entertainer Samuel “Kawunyemu” Bwette and his ever-vocal co-driver Hamza Lwanga. These two faced it all: dust, near-rolls, and full-blown chaos. Still, they found their way to 10th overall.
And speaking of warriors, Susan “Super Lady” Muwonge gave us a masterclass in resilience. After a wild run-in with a charging impala on Day 1 that left her car looking like it had been through a demolition derby, she duct-taped her way back into the rally. Then on Day 2, her car refused to start but in a moment of rare motorsport unity, fellow drivers went out of their way to help her, even sacrificing their own parts to get her back on the road. Despite power steering issues, she fought on to finish 13th overall and 11th in NRC. A true champion.
On the flip side, things fell apart early for Ponsiano Lwakataka and Paul Musazi. Their engine gave up in Stage 3. They rebuilt it overnight and attempted a comeback, only for the car to quit again en route to the morning service. A brutal weekend.
In 2WD, it was Mansoor Lubega and Bukenya Kesh who laid down the law. They bossed the class in their Toyota Corolla, finishing 1st in class, 11th overall, and 10th NRC finisher. Ibrahim Lubeha and Kanakulya Moustapha, back after a long break, were reminded that rally time waits for no one they finished 2nd in class, 14th overall. Amir and Kenneth Kavuma took 3rd in class in their WRX.
Then came the heat in the CRC class. Kevin Bebeto was leading until disaster struck in the penultimate stage. A failed fan fried his engine, and just like that, dreams vanished. Walter Kibande and Duncan Katumba, dreadlocks and all, picked up the pieces and secured CRC class victory, stretching their championship lead. Kiggundu Sentongo and Yusuf Babu overcame technical issues to finish 2nd, while Ahmed Kateete and Morgan Serugga clawed their way to 3rd after a rough Day 1. Odeon Tumwebaze and Hussein Mukuye capped off the class in 4th with their Toyota Altezza.
