There will be five Ugandan drivers and co-drivers at the World Rally Championship (WRC) – Safari Rally 2021 slated for 24 – 27 June in Nairobi, Kenya.
Uganda’s crew at the Safari Rally comprises of; Ronald Ssebuguzi & Anthony Mugambwa, Yasin Nasser & Ali Katumba, Duncan Mubiru & Umar Mayanja, Hassan Alwi & James Mwangi and Kepher Walubi & Siraje Kyambadde.
Ugandan drivers who will be making their debut at the event will have no WRC points to score but will be playing for pride, bragging rights and above all they will be eager to gain more experience at a global stage.
Ugandan drivers are seeded in cluster four of the competition, top Kenyan drivers and the like will be in WRC3 class while top seeds will be in top cluster and second tier drivers will be in WRC2.
Shell V-Power sponsored Ronald Sebuguzi, a three-time Uganda National Rally Champion is one of the Ugandan drivers looked out for by local fans and if he does ‘his thing’ right, he can possibly upset some top drivers.
“I look forward to representing my country at this prestigious motor-sporting event,” Sebuguzi said last week when he was flagged off by his sponsor, Shell V-Power.
Ugandan drivers attained entry into the Safari Rally through the Equator Rally held earlier this year in Naivasha, Kenya. The Equator Rally was a continental event.
The Safari Rally has attracted global icons including; Sébastien Ogier, Oliver Solberg, Dani Sordo, Pierre-Louis Loubet and the like.
The WRC returns to Africa for the first time since 2002. The Safari Rally of old has evolved to fit the modern-day WRC, but its character remains with challenging closed dirt roads, stunning picture-postcard scenery and exotic wildlife. Competitors can expect rocky and rutted tracks and unpredictable weather which could transform dry and dusty trails into glutinous mudbaths.
This year’s edition will mark the sixty-eighth running of the Safari Rally. The event will be the sixth round of the 2021 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3.
