The mud was as thick as a bowl of Ugandan posho, the rain fell like an emotional breakup song, and the competitors? Well, they were sliding around the Greater Masaka regions like they were auditioning for the role of “fastest penguin” in an animated movie. But despite the weather, Ponsiano Lwakataka and Paul Musazi triumphed in the 2025 Bwera Bistro SMC Rally, held last weekend across the slippery terrains of Kalungu, Bukomansimbi, and Sembabule districts. In what can only be described as a “splashing success,” the duo won in style, braving both the mud and their competitors for the win.
Now, Ponsiano Lwakataka who seems to have found his rallying sweet spot in the rain claimed his second victory in a row after winning both of the first two rounds of the season. He finished the entire event with a total time of 1:27:28, securing the top podium position like a man who’d been born with a steering wheel in his hand. It wasn’t easy, though. Lwakataka won 4 of the 9 stages, outpacing second-place finishers Ronald Sebuguzi and Anthony Mugambwa, who were a mere 5:27 seconds behind. But let’s be real, after two days of slipping and sliding around mud pits, a few seconds felt like an eternity.
“It feels great to win at home, especially in such conditions,” said Lwakataka, his voice oozing with pride and maybe a little mud. “It’s not about speed today. It’s about survival and we survived the mud, so we’ll take the win!”
As for Ronald Sebuguzi and Anthony Mugambwa, they had to settle for second place once again, which, mind you, isn’t bad at all. With a second-place finish, they maintained their spot on top of the NRC standings for the season. Don’t worry, they’ll be back stronger next time. Maybe next time they’ll bring a boat instead of a car, given the conditions!
The biggest surprise of the event, however, was the impressive performance of Musa Ssegaabwe and Mathias Kiyega. In their Mitsubishi Evo9, they not only survived the muddy chaos but thrived, finishing with a career-best NRC finish of 1:37:37. No one saw that coming, especially considering they didn’t even need to add extra mud to their car for the perfect “rally look.” A massive shoutout to their team for keeping the wheels rolling and not getting stuck in the mud much like many others who ended up on the side of the road questioning their life choices.
On to the next big storyline: Duncan Mubiru and Joseph Kamya. Now, these two pushed their Ford Fiesta Proto to a solid fourth-place finish, but let’s just say they might have had a few “oops” moments along the way. I mean, when you’re racing through mud that’s so thick it looks like you’re driving through a giant chocolate pudding cup, it’s a miracle anyone made it out alive let alone in one piece! But, by the grace of rally gods, they finished in fourth with a time that made all their mistakes somehow feel worth it.
As for the fifth position, that went to Peter Kalule and David Mwesigwa in their Subaru XV. No surprises here, just another day in the office for these two seasoned rally warriors.
Now, moving on to the two-wheel-drive (2WD) category, where things got even more interesting. Ahmed Senyonjo and Lubowa Charles took the top honors, finishing with a time of 2:03:03. Not only did they win the category, but they also finished an impressive 12th overall. I’d say they could make a career out of this “mastering mud” thing, if it wasn’t already obvious. “The mud was relentless, but we knew what we had to do,” said Senyonjo, probably as muddy as his car by the end of it all.
Trailing in second was the dynamic duo of Hajji Amir Kavuma and Keneth Kavuma—no relation to the rally mud gods, but they sure tried their best. They finished with a time of 2:12:14, and while they may not have won the category, they managed to claw their way to a respectable 13th overall. Still, there’s always next time. Maybe they can perfect the art of not driving straight into the muddy pits.
Wrapping up the 2WD podium, Edward Kirumira and Monica Birwinyo piloted their Toyota Corolla to a 2:18:58 finish. Only 15 seconds behind second place in their class, these two were definitely in the running for a surprise win. But alas, the mud had other plans.
In the CRC class, Ahmed Katete and Morgan Serugga came out on top with a total time of 1:47:45, claiming a well-deserved career-best. It was a hard-fought victory as they held off the competition from Walter Kibande and Kevin Bebeto, who finished second despite battling suspension issues early on. If rallying had an award for “Best Recovery After Nearly Being Knocked Out,” Kibande and Bebeto would’ve earned it hands down.
And then, of course, we have the young speedsters, Kevin Bebeto and Mwambazi Lawrence, who showed promise with an excellent performance through the stages only to get bogged down in the infamous Nabugabo field stage, where they lost precious time. Nevertheless, they managed to finish third with a time of 1:50:04. We’ll see more from these two in the future.
With the muddy roads of Masaka now behind us, all eyes are set on the prestigious Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally coming up next month (May 9th–12th) in Mbarara. The rally will feature an even bigger pool of competitors, including foreign crews from Kenya and Rwanda, which means we might be in for a show like no other. So, get ready, because you just never know when the mud will come back with a vengeance! In the meantime, the teams will take a well-deserved break, maybe wash the mud off (if they can find it under the layers), and prepare for what is set to be the rally season’s most exciting event.
