Alwi Jr Sets the Pace as Lwakataka Battles Woes

By Mwambazi Lawrence –

Day One of the CMC Rajiv Ruparelia Memorial Rally 2025, the penultimate round of the Uganda National Rally Championship (UNRC), is officially in the books  and it belongs to the Ford Fiesta Protos. The Proto’s have dominated the day’s proceedings, led by none other than Hassan Alwi Jr, co-driven by Musa Nsubuga, who delivered a masterclass in pace and precision.

After three competitive stages totaling 56.2km, Alwi and Nsubuga sit comfortably atop the leaderboard with an overall time of 26:21.2, having claimed victory in two of today’s stages  including the gruelling 27.42km Wobbly stage, the longest of the day. Their Ford Fiesta Proto has run faultlessly, and the crew appears fully in control as they head into Day Two with a 6-second lead.

Party spoiler Duncan Mubiru during the super special stage at Pece Stadium (Photo by Johnson Were)

Hot on their heels is another Fiesta Proto, this time piloted by Duncan Mubiru and co-driven by Joseph Kamya. Duncan, who is well out of title contention, is proving to be a worthy “party spoiler.” Despite a minor spin in the opening superspecial stage that cost him a handful of seconds, he still clocked an impressive 21:04.6 and reported no mechanical issues.

In third place sits the ever-consistent Ronald Sebuguzi, navigated by Anthony Mugambwa, also in a Ford Fiesta Proto. The championship hopefuls started the day in fine form, winning the opening stage, but later struggled to match the blistering pace of Alwi and Mubiru as conditions worsened. However, there was relief in their camp after news broke that their closest title rival, Ponsiano Lwakataka, had gone off the road and retired in CS2.

Day1 Results (NRC) Top 5

  1. Hassan Alwi Jr / Musa Nsubuga -26:21.2
  2. Duncan Mubiru / Joseph Kamya -26:27.4
  3. Ronald Sebuguzi/ Anthony Mugambwa -26:30.8
  4. Peter Kalule/ David Mwesigwa-30:8.6
  5. Aine Sodo/ Asuman Mohammed -30:19.9

The battle behind the top three is just as fierce. Peter Kalule and David Mwesigwa are holding onto fourth place with a time of 24:17.5, narrowly ahead of Aine Sodo and Asuman Mohammed in fifth with 24:20.6  a mere three seconds separating the two.

Meanwhile, championship contender Musa Ssegaabwe endured a rough day after a puncture in CS2 cost him nearly nine minutes, tumbling him down to 13th overall. With the championship race tightening, Ssegaabwe will have to dig deep tomorrow to stay in contention.

2wd leader Mansoor Lubega hasnt put a foot wrong and will be looking to climb on top of the leaderboard after here (Photo By Johnson Were)

In the fiercely contested 2WD category, Mansoor Lubega and Ronald Bukenya have been the benchmark, steering their Toyota Corolla to lead the day. Breathing down their necks, however, is the fiery Julious Semambo and co-driver Jaffer Lukenge in their Toyota Sprinter. The two are separated by a razor-thin margin of just 1.5 points in the championship standings, and today’s performance sets up a tantalizing duel for tomorrow.

2WD Results After Day1

  1. Mansoor Lubega / Ronald Bukenya
  2. Julious Semambo/ Jaffer Lukenge
  3. Amir Kavuma/ Keneth Kavuma

Hajji Amir Kavuma and Kenneth Kavuma in a Subaru Impreza 2WD round off the top three after enjoying a clean and steady run all day.

After two stages in the Clubman Rally Championship (CRC) category, Kevin Bebeto and Siraj Kyambade have been in a class of their own. The Subaru N10 crew thrilled fans with a blend of flair, clocking the fastest CRC time of 1:05:27, despite wrestling with a faulty handbrake.

Young blood Kevin Bebeeto powers his Subaru impreza during the superspecial stage (Photo by Johnson Were)

Right behind them are current CRC title leaders Walter Kibande and Duncan Katumba, who clocked 1:05:33, losing time after a half-spin in the superspecial stage. Still, their consistency keeps their title hopes alive.
In third place, Ahmed Katete and Morgan Serugga impressed in their older Subaru GC8, posting clean, trouble-free runs. They’re followed by Denis Bahizi and Eva Louise Weikamp (1:06:37), while Odeon Tumwebaze and Hussein Mukuye hold sixth.

CRC Day1 Results

  1. Kevin Bebeto/ Siraj Kyambade-1:05:27
  2. Walter Kibande/ Duncan Katumba-1:05:33
  3. Ahmed Kateete/ Morgan Serugga-1:05:52
  4. Denis Bahizi/ Eva Louise Weikamp-1:16:37
  5. Odeon Tumwebaze/ Hussein Mukuye -1:26:31

It was a day to forget for Ponsiano “Mafu Mafu” Lwakataka and Paul Musazi, who went off the road in CS2, damaging their car badly and forcing an early retirement. Fortunately, the crew has since managed to fix the car and will rejoin the rally under Super Rally regulations tomorrow  but their title hopes now hang by a thread.

Tomorrow promises another day packed with high-speed drama, with crews tackling 156km in total  split into five competitive stages covering 78.81km of timed action and 82.50km of liaison.
The day’s longest stage, the 18.05km Rajiv Ruparelia stage, will double as the Power Stage, offering bonus points that could prove decisive in the championship fight. The Daudi Ochaya stage (12.19km) will serve as the shortest but promises to be a crowd favorite.

As  Day One comes to a close, one thing is clear  the Ford Fiesta Protos have stamped their authority, and the battle for the 2025 Uganda National Rally Championship crown is heading for a nail-biting finish.