Uganda failed to get the 12th Pearl of Africa victory but it has hope of securing the second continental title.
In 1999 Uganda’s Charles Muhangi aka ‘ekitagururo’ conquered the continent when he won the ARC.
Later in 2015 Jas Mangat narrowly missed the title when he lost it to Zambia’s Muhammed Essa and later in 2023 lost it to Karan Patel when he finished second.
Earlier on in 2022 Yassin Nasser also narrowly lost it to Leroy Gomez and wife Urshlla Gomez of Zambia in Ford Fiesta R5.
This year, Jas Mangat in a Hyundai i20 R5 targets bringing it home and finishing second in the Shell V-power Pearl of Africa Rally is a big boost to him as he targets to fight back in remaining five legs starting with Zambia in July.
“We came second, scored points, and we are now targeting Zambia. Our target is to win this year’s ARC and we are going for it,” Mangat noted after the Pearl of Africa Rally.
Since 1999 today it has been 25 years of waiting and Mangat is shouldering millions of Ugandan hopes that he will end that jinx.
Past winners of Pearl of Africa Rally
1996 – Karim Hirji/ Frank Nekusa (Uganda) Toyota Celica ST 185
Run under FIA rules as the Great Lakes Rally, jointly with Club
Automobile du Burundi
1997 – Chipper Adams/ Justin Beyendeza (Uganda) Toyota Supra
Run as the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally – ARC Candidate event
1998 – Charles Muhangi/Steven Byaruhanga (Uganda) Subaru Impreza
1999 – Chipper Adams/Frank Bayendera Toyota Supra
2000 – Charlie Lubega/ Abed Musa (Uganda) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
2002 – Johnny Gemmel/ Robert Paisley (South Africa) Subaru Impreza WRX
2003 – Charlie Lubega/ Musa Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
2004 – Lubega/ Musa Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
2005 – Riyaz Kurji /Sayed Kadri (Uganda) Subaru Impreza N10
2006 – Riyaz Kurji/Sayed Kadri (Kenya) Subaru Impreza N8
2007 – Conrad Rautenbach/Peter Marsh (Zimbabwe) Subaru N10
2008 – Jamie Whyte/ Phil Archenoul (Zimbabwe) Subaru Impreza N10
2009 – Riyaz Kurji / Sayed Kadri (Kenya) Subaru Impreza N8
Prize granted posthumously
2010 -Jamie Whyte/ Archenoul (Zimbabwe) Subaru Impreza N10
2011 –Ponsiano Lwakataka/ Musa Nsubuga (Uganda) Subaru N8
2012 -Mohammed Essa/Greg Stead (Zambia) Subaru Impreza N12
2013 -Jas Mangat (Uganda)/ Gihan de Silva (Kenya) Mitsubishi Evo X
2014 -Rajbir Rai/ Tim Challen (Kenya) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
2015 –Jaspreet Chatthe (Kenya)/ Craig Thorley (UK) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
2016 –Hassan Alwi/Enock Olinga (Uganda) Subaru Impreza N14
2017 – Manvir Baryan (Kenya)/ Drew Sturrock (UK) Škoda Fabia R5
2018 –Manvir Baryan / Sturrock Škoda Fabia R5
2019 -Manvir Baryan / Sturrock Škoda Fabia R5
2020 -Cancelled due to COVID
2021 -Cancelled due to COVID
2022 Mangat/Kamya Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X
2023-Yasin Nasser/Ali Katumba (UG) Ford Fiesta R5
2024- Karan Patel/Tauseef Khan (Kenya) Skoda Fabia R5
