By Mwambazi Lawrence-

The 2026 KCB National Rally Championship has already delivered everything rally fans could ask for high-speed battles, mechanical heartbreaks, international competition, surprise performances and a championship fight that remains wide open after the opening two rounds.

The season roared into life in Eastern Uganda with the MPU Mbale Rally before shifting west to Mbarara and Kiruhura for the prestigious Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, which also doubled as the second round of the FIA African Rally Championship. Two events into the season, one thing is already clear: there are no easy victories in this year’s championship.

The curtain raiser in Mbale attracted over 30 crews and marked the return of competitive rallying after the off-season break. The fast and technical roads around Budaka and the greater Mbale region wasted no time separating the prepared from the hopeful. Mechanical failures, navigation challenges and ever-changing road conditions played a major role in shaping the early championship standings.

One of the biggest stories of the rally was the return of former National Rally Champion Moses Lumala after nearly two decades away from active competition. Driving a Ford Fiesta NRC Proto alongside veteran co-driver Cedric Buzabo, Lumala rolled back the years with a stunning performance that saw him finish second overall. His pace surprised many younger competitors, proving that while speed may come with youth, rally wisdom never grows old.

Mbale also witnessed the arrival of exciting new machinery. Musa Ssegaabwe and Mathias Kiyega unveiled their much-anticipated Škoda N5, a car that instantly became the centre of attention in the service park. The crew demonstrated impressive pace and initially secured second place overall before a stewards’ inquiry over alleged external assistance during a liaison section resulted in disqualification. Despite the setback, the Škoda had already announced itself as a serious championship contender.

Youngster Kevin Bebeto also grabbed headlines after debuting his newly acquired Mitsubishi Evo 9, having switched from a Subaru Impreza N10. Although the outing ended with a 12th-place finish overall, it marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his career. Ethiopian-based Stefano Valeri, competing under a Ugandan licence, equally impressed on his debut in a Mitsubishi Evo X. Together with co-driver Robert Katabalwa, Valeri delivered a composed drive to finish third overall and secure a podium finish.

At the sharp end of the field, Hassan Alwi Jr and Musa Nsubuga delivered a masterclass in consistency. The Ford Fiesta Proto crew controlled the rally from start to finish, steadily increasing their advantage to claim victory in a time of 1:12:42. Lumala and Buzabo secured a memorable second-place finish while Valeri and Katabalwa completed the podium. Defending champion Ronald Sebuguzi endured a frustrating weekend after mechanical problems near the finish dashed his hopes of a strong result.

The 2WD category belonged to Mansoor Lubega and Kenneth Kavuma, who combined speed with reliability to claim victory. Julius Semambo and Eric Senono finished second in their Toyota Sprinter while Odeon Tumwebaze and Hussein Mukuye completed the podium in a Toyota Altezza. In the CRC category, Sande Mubiru and Hassan Kateregga cruised to victory, while Doreen Asiimwe and Nabirah Doreen battled through challenges to secure second place.

Away from the stopwatch, the MPU Mbale Rally showcased the growing popularity of motorsport in Eastern Uganda. Thousands of spectators attended the ceremonial start, flocked to scrutineering and lined the stages throughout the weekend, creating an electric atmosphere.

The championship then headed west for the Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, the country’s flagship motorsport event. With a record 65 entries, including 23 ARC crews, the event once again cemented its reputation as one of Africa’s toughest rallies. Featuring 188.39 competitive kilometres and a total route exceeding 567 kilometres, the rally attracted some of the continent’s finest drivers.

Kenya arrived with a formidable lineup led by Karan Patel, Samman Vohra, Jasmeet Chana, Ahmed Huwel, Aakif Virani and Nikhil Sachania. During qualifying and shakedown, Samman Vohra immediately stamped his authority by setting the fastest time ahead of Karan Patel, while Uganda’s Yasin Nasser also showed encouraging pace.

However, rallying never follows a script.

Burundi’s Mohammad Rashanali rolled his Subaru GVB barely a kilometre into shakedown and was forced to withdraw. Kevin Bebeto and Lawrence Mwambazi battled over-revving issues and broken rear shafts, Oscar Ntambi and Aine Sodo faced technical setbacks, while Kenyan crew Sameer Nanji and Zaib Azhar crashed heavily into a tree. Remarkably, the damaged Subaru was repaired overnight and returned to competition.

The rally itself produced one of the most dramatic finishes in recent years. Samman Vohra and Drew Sturrock appeared destined for victory before a broken prop shaft on the penultimate stage shattered their hopes. The misfortune handed the lead to fellow Kenyans Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan, who overcame earlier power steering troubles to secure overall victory. Uganda’s Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba completed the podium with an impressive third-place finish against Africa’s elite.

In ARC2, Uganda’s Aine Sodo and Asuman Mohammed emerged victorious in their Mitsubishi Evo X, boosting Mohammed’s African co-drivers’ championship ambitions. Rwanda’s Queen Kalimpinya and Alain finished second, while Tanzanian sensation Ahmed Huwel retired despite showing impressive pace in his Toyota Yaris.

The NRC battle within the Pearl Rally was equally thrilling. Tanzania’s Randeep Singh Birdi and Uganda’s Enock Olinga dominated proceedings in their Ford Fiesta Proto to secure victory. Yasin Nasser finished just over a minute behind in second place while Duncan Mubiru and Siraj Kyambade completed the podium.

Julius Semambo and veteran co-driver Diana Nagawa triumphed in the 2WD category, ahead of Edward Kirumira and Zubedah Abdallah, with Mansoor Lubega and Kenneth Kavuma recovering from gearbox problems to finish third. In the CRC class, Geoffrey Munyegera and Saul Musoke claimed victory, while Kanakulya Moustapha and Lubega Ibrahim finished second. Doreen Asiimwe and Monica Birwinyo completed the podium in third place.

After two rounds, Hassan Alwi Jr leads the KCB NRC standings on 118 points. Umar Dauda sits second on 82.5 points, followed by Duncan Mubiru on 79 points. Randeep Singh Birdi occupies fourth position on 77 points while Yasin Nasser rounds out the top five on 72 points. In the CRC championship, Doreen Asiimwe leads with 27 points while Sande Mubiru and Geoffrey Munyegera are tied on 20 points.

With only two rounds completed, the championship remains far from settled. Reliability, consistency and smart strategy are proving just as important as outright speed. As attention now shifts to the next round organized by the Southern Motor Club, crews will be eager to build momentum and close the gap to the leaders.

And if the opening rounds have taught rally fans anything, it is this: in rallying, a driver can lead for 180 kilometres, only for a stubborn bolt, a broken shaft or an angry differential to suddenly decide it wants its own championship points.