The WRC safari rally ended and we are now living in its aftermath, besides the financial push and international exposure it gave to Naivasha, Nairobi, and Kenya as a country, how did Ugandans feel about the event! Ecstatic rally fans were anxiously looking forward to this event for years, so it’s safe to say most were left a bit disappointed and underwhelmed when only one Ugandan crew made the final entry list to compete in the WRC3 category.
Yasin Nasser and co-driver Ali Katumba were the only Ugandans that participated in the WRC after the other four teams were placed in the national category(KNRC). Many fans expressed disappointment on social media platforms calling out these crews for letting them down. However, in their defence; Duncan Mubiru, Ronald Ssebuguzi, Hassan Alwi, and Kepher Walubi, say that the overwhelming technicalities, maximum discipline especially with time management, and very strict rules that don’t leave room for any error, left them in such positions. The scrutineering that was carried out for the WRC was extremely strict that even a scratch on the helmet led to disqualification or reclassification. Jared Kalera, of FMU who was among the delegates that attended the safety seminar, on the radio he said that the drivers were prepared, people shouldn’t be so quick to jump down their backs, and that the WRC people are just more severe with the requirements needed so that they can race with the international drivers, “if you are competing in an international event, you will be scrutinized on an international level, it’s just the way it is.”
The drivers got to experience a world championship challenge setting as well as meeting the best drivers on the planet. Yasin Nasser retired from the event due to some technical issues. Just like other drivers, he said, it was an honour for him to participate and be a part of an event of this level.
In the KNRC, Hassan Alwi also retired due to technical issues but fans cheered on Duncan Mubiru and Ronald Ssebuguzi as they gave outstanding performances in their categories, coming in first and second. Kepher Walubi came in fourth and closed out the Ugandan performers.
Hassan Alwi urged Ugandan sponsors to be as invested in the drivers as their Kenyan counterparts and also for government support in the motorsport events; he also urged for more cooperation among Ugandan drivers (to develop a sense of sportsmanship) as he witnessed in his time at the Safari rally. The comments and take on the WRC from all our drivers echoed around the same thing, every detail counts in an event, and for advancement in the sponsorship of the motorsport industry.
As the interviews were conducted after the event, many of the Kenyan drivers had recommendations for the WRC to be hosted in different African countries, and most were heard praising the Ugandan fans that came in to support and maybe with time, we as a country may get to host the coveted WRC.
Kudos to all the drivers that represented, no matter how the fans felt about their performance, we shouldn’t forget these drivers mostly rely on themselves and their sponsors which the international drivers don’t. Thank you for representing Uganda.
