Charles Muhangi has been off the scene for a while. But the 1999 African Rally Champion (ARC) will be in action this weekend when he leads a Ugandan contingent of eight at the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
According to the vice president [Technical] of local motorsport body (FMU) Katende Mukiibi, he accepts the commendation of the drivers: “We have so far registered eight but many more may take part before the deadline,” he told the local press.
It is the first time Uganda is sending such a huge team and Muhangi will be eager to score his first points on this season’s African Rally Championship (ARC) calendar.
Hajji Abdul Ssempebwa is the only other Ugandan driver eligible to score ARC points. Meanwhile, Wilbert Polepole and Albert Ofong will be aiming to improve their positions in the national rally championship (NRC).
Any points scored at the rally will be subjected to a 60 per cent deduction but will be added to their current NRC points.
According to the event’s Manager Yves Kagina, everything is going as planned. “Our budget stands at $50,000 (Rwf 34.5m) and we are doing everything to raise the needed international requirements for the rally,” Kagina said.
“We are expecting drivers from Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda,” added Kagina.
Kenyan Jaspreet Chatthe won the fourth round of the continental championship to blow the title chase open after Cote d’Ivoire’s Gary Chanyes and Zambia’s Mohammed Essa failed to garner any points in the Oryx Energies Rally of Tanzania last month.
Chaynes and Chatthe are joint-top of the standings going into Mt. Gorilla Rally with 58 points each.
Essa who crashed out of the Tanzania rally is placed third with 50 points while Rwandan Giancarlo Davite who was suspended also in Tanzania rally for receiving outside assistance is fourth with 27 points with the duo of Morifere from Ivory Coast and Ugandan Abdu Sempebwa sitting bottom of the standings with 18 points each.
Local drivers who will be vying for national rally championship points include; Claude Kwizera, Burundian Abbas Mohammed, Ange Cyatangabo, Johhny Murengezi, Mayaka Felekani, Claude Gakwaya, Genesse Semana and Janvier Mutuga among others.Duncan Mubiru, Wycliff Bukenya.
RWANDA RALLY:
UGANDAN DRIVERS
Abdul Sempebwa, Charles Muhangi, Albert Ofong, Peter Kakaire, Geoffrey Nsamba, Wilbert Polepole.
Courtesy of kawowo.com