By Frank Kaheesi, Mbale

Veteran rally driver Moses Lumala, navigated by Cedric Buzabo, delivered an inspiring performance at the weekend rally in Mbale, dedicating his podium finish to his trainer, Maris Neiksan.

Lumala’s pursuit of a stronger result nearly faltered early on, as fatigue crept in after the opening stages on Friday. The experienced driver admitted that he briefly questioned whether age was catching up with him. However, a crucial intervention at the service park from Neiksan proved to be the turning point of his rally.

“After the first two stages, I felt too tired to continue. Deep inside, I thought maybe age was catching up with me,” Lumala explained. “But when I reached the service park, Maris showed me onboard videos and asked why I was driving as if I was heading to a wedding.”

The candid critique sparked a renewed determination in Lumala. After reviewing his performance, he vowed to push harder and he delivered. His resurgence became evident in the Yasin Nasser Stage, where he stunned many by beating eventual rally winner Hassan Alwi by eight seconds, reigniting his charge up the leaderboard.

With confidence restored, Lumala steadily improved his stage times after the first service, climbing positions with strong backing from his service crew and supporters. By the afternoon loop, he had his sights firmly set on a podium finish and attacked the repeated stages, including the Dr. Arthur Ahimbisibwe Stage and the Yasin Nasser Stage.

At the finish, Lumala crossed the final control with the third-best overall time. Meanwhile, Hassan Alwi sealed victory with a commanding total time of 1:12:42. Musa Ssegawa had initially secured second place but was later excluded from the final results due to a breach of Article 56.1 of the FMU National Competition Rules.

The exclusion elevated Lumala from third to an impressive second overall with a total time of 1:16:11, while Stefano Valeri moved up to complete the podium positions.

Despite the reshuffle, Lumala remained composed, offering words of encouragement to Ssegawa. “Motorsport is a game of rules. He should take heart and come back stronger,” he noted.

In the two-wheel drive (2WD) category, defending champion Mansoor Lubega dominated his class, posting the fastest time of 1:28:58. Meanwhile, KCB-sponsored crews Oscar Ntambi and Nasser Mutebi, both driving Mitsubishi Evo X machines, showcased resilience to finish fourth and fifth overall respectively, also securing a team trophy after their teammate Mike Amukula Junior retired on day one.

The crowd favorite award arguably went to Haruna Kataza and co-driver David Mwesigwa, whose Subaru Impreza thrills made them the most entertaining crew of the weekend.

Attention now shifts to the next round of the KCB National Rally Championship, set for May 2026 in the Ankole region, where crews will once again battle for supremacy on the Western Uganda terrain.