More than 30 drivers are confirmed to participate in the Gorilla in the Mist Rally happening in Kabale this weekend. The rally, in its second year, starts Friday March 3, going through various sections in the south western district before it concludes on Sunday March 5. The race has 12 competitive sections totaling to a distance of 208km. Omar Mayanja and navigator Hussein Mukuye won the opening round of the 2017 National Rally Championship in Mbarara after they posted a record time of 1:51:26. Coming in in second place was the Ronald Sebuguzi and Leon Senyange combination. Gorilla in the Mist is the second rally on the NRC calendar.
The season opener may not have gone well for the 2016 NRC defending champion Jas Mangat and his co-driver Joseph Kamya after mechanical faults stopped them completing the rally in Mbarara but he will be looking to use the rally in Kabale to get his title defence back on course. And Kabale is a location that Mangat has only good memories of, as it was here that he won the inaugural edition of the Gorilla in the Mist Rally last year, posting a time of 2:15:43.
Section prize adds spice
To provide extra incentive for drivers in the upcoming rally, Federation of Motorsport Uganda (FMU) boss Dusman Okee during the official launch of the rally early this month staked an undisclosed “special” prize for any driver who comes top in the competitive sections (CS) one and two named after Desh Kananura and Ambrose Byona. The two CSes are 12.00km and 12.63km respectively. He also confirmed a number of foreign drivers would be participating. These include Rwandan rally champion Jean Claude Gakwaya and his countryman Jean Mugabo, as well as Fabrice Yoto and Regis Remere from Burundi.
The event sponsors include Byona Exectutive Travel, Kabonge Coffee Company, Hima Cement, White Horse Inn, Masolin Signs, Gaz, Lato Milk, Big win Casino, Ferro Mobile and ICEA.