By Mwambazi Lawrence-

Uganda’s Yasin Nasser and co-driver Ali Katumba have etched their names into continental motorsport history, clinching the 2025 African Rally Championship (ARC) in the most dramatic of fashions during the season-ending Mkwawa Rally in Morogoro, Tanzania on Sunday.

The Ugandan crew driving a Ford Fiesta R5, entered the decisive round with a slim eight-point lead over Kenyan rival Samman Vohra, setting the stage for a tense showdown. Vohra, determined to snatch the crown in his maiden full ARC campaign, wasted no time in showing intent storming into the lead on Saturday and ending the opening leg on top of the standings. Nasser, in contrast, opted for a cautious strategy, bringing his Fiesta home in fourth, aware that a single mistake could undo his season-long work.

The spotlight shifted to Sunday’s decisive leg, with both title contenders under immense pressure. For Vohra, victory would seal a dream debut championship. For Nasser, the equation was simpler but equally nerve-wracking stop Vohra from maximizing points at all costs.

The twist in the tale came from Kenya’s double African champion Karan Patel, who staged a surprise surge. Patel not only snatched the rally lead from Vohra but also dominated the power stage, altering the points dynamics significantly. His heroics denied Vohra maximum points, reshaping the championship math in Nasser’s favor.

When the dust settled, Patel stood tall as the rally winner, Vohra was forced to settle for second, and Tanzania’s Ahmed Huwel completed the podium. Nasser crossed the line in fourth but crucially collected two very vital power stage points, which tipped the scales just enough to secure the ARC title by the slimmest of margins 135 points to Vohra’s 134.

The triumph ends a 26-year wait for Uganda, since the legendary Charles Muhangi (RIP) and co-driver Stephen Byaruhanga lifted the continental crown in 1999. Notably, Jas Mangat came agonizingly close in 2013, only to miss out to Zambia’s Jassy Singh in the final stages.

And so, beneath the Tanzanian sun, a story for the ages finds its final line. Samman Vohra, valiant and unyielding, leaves with pride but without the crown. Karan Patel, the spoiler, the kingmaker, reminds Africa that rallying is never scripted. But it is Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba who walk away draped in glory Uganda’s long wait broken, their names forever etched alongside the giants. Twenty-six years on, the anthem rises again, and a continent applauds its newest champions.