Motorsport in Uganda has far-reaching roots and that has been the pillar on which the sport has thrived to date being regarded as one of the leading sports in the country.
It is not just competition, but a family gathering that has seen families spend a weekend in one place enjoying the sport, it is tourism, Motorsport has moved all parts of the country and fans have learned much more about their country through sports tourism.
The motorsport fans have promoted the Uganda flag in the whole continent as they travel endlessly to the different countries following their rally drivers including Charles Muhangi (RIP), Emma Katto, Jas Mangat, Issa Nyanzi, Ronald Sebuguzi, Duncan ‘Kikankane ‘Mubiru and Musa Kabega.
Economically the sport has benefited all the sectors a case in study is the UMOSPOC Kabalega rally that first tracked and was a catalyser to the growth of the hotel and food industry in Hoima.
Motorsport Legend Emma Jumba takes you through the evolution of Motorsport in Uganda.
Motorsport in Uganda can be traced to the 1950s when Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania jointly ran the East African Safari Rally. It was a Ugandan privateer, Sospeter Munyegera, who made history as the first African to complete the event in 1969, in a standard showroom Saab.
The Saab works teams who had earlier all retired, joined the rest of the Motorsport world and watched in amazement as this lone crusader in a standard car made history! Munyegera (RIP) remains an inspiration for many young Ugandan drivers.
Motorsport took root in Uganda in the early 1950s, when the Coronation Rally (East African Safari Rally) was first run between the 3 East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Each of the three countries produced its share of successful drivers. Uganda’s’ Shekhar Mehta won the Safari rally 5 times, Satwant Singh was 8 times African Champion and Charles Muhangi was the African Champion in 1999.
The five times Safari Rally winner, Shekhar Mehta (RIP), drove his first rally car on a circuit in Lugazi, near the Source of the Nile, where his family still owns large sugar and tea estates.
He went on to become a world-class driver and later became a Vice President of the FIA until his untimely death in April 2006.
Satwant Singh, now a Zambian, was born in Tororo, Uganda. Satwant won the African Rally Championship an unprecedented eight times, a feat unmatched by any other driver on the continent. He privately admits that he is still Ugandan at heart.
More recently in 1999, Charles Muhangi and S. Byaruhanga became the first Black Africans to win the coveted African Championship trophy, after making the competition eat dust. Ugandan-related drivers have therefore won the African Championship 9 times!
The politically difficult days of Dictator Idi Amin did affect the sport (Shekhar Mehta and Satwant Singh relocated, and the Uganda leg of the East African Safari was dropped) but did not dampen the enthusiasm for motorsport.
A new breed of local drivers led by the late Sospeter Munyegera started coming up from the Eastern side of Uganda and using the old Safari Rally roads and know-how, a local brand of Ugandan motorsport was born.
The sport was revived in the 1980s, and over the last 10 years has grown to be one of the most popular sports in the country, competing favourably with football for popularity.
During a typical rally, hundreds of fans turn out to support their local stars, creating an equivalent of a local derby and a carnival-type atmosphere.
Young men and women, clad in fancy wear, will turn up with their partners prepared for a fun day out. The 80’s class was led by the late Jimmy Dean and had other greats such as Sam Collins Ssali and the famous Blick family.
In the 90’s another breed of drivers led by Karim Hirji was born. It is through this era that the V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda rally was born.
The event has its roots in cooperation between the Burundi Automobile Club (CAB) and Motorsport Africa Club (MOSAC) which resolved to jointly organise Burundi’s ‘Great Lakes Rally 1996’ in Uganda, due to political instability in Burundi.
This very successful ‘candidate ‘event (which was observed by Shekhar Mehta, RIP), inspired the Ugandans to apply for their candidate event in 1997, the PEARL OF AFRICA UGANDA RALLY. This was the era of Legends like Charlie Lubega, Chipper Adams, Moses Lumala, Charles Muhangi, and Emma Katto.
Although arguably the most successful driver in today’s era is Jas Mangat, today’s era of drivers is led by Ponsiano Lwakataka and Ronald Sebuguzi who have been around longer than any other driver in this era.
Competing under a Kenyan competition license, Jas is on course to win this year’s African Rally Championship title.
He takes an 8-point lead with him into the Pearl of Africa Uganda with 3 events to go. Mzee Wycliff Bukenya can be credited with the honour of having traversed more eras in Ugandan motorsport and even at this point in life, shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Motorsport started when all of us here were not born, those who started it died and left, guys why do you think you will not leave motorsport?
Dialogue is the best and I appeal to the two parties for the good of the sport to bury their egos and give birth to a new peaceful era for motorsport.
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