The Super-Susan: Uganda’s rally champion

Susan Muwonge loves beef. She loves it so much that she says the most memorable present she ever got was a plate of meat her friends brought her when she was at a rally in Mbarara.She laughs when she says this, a feminine laugh filled with mirth. We are talking about her favourite things at a quiet restaurant in Mengo and she goes on and on about beef. “My family, friends and a few drivers know about me and beef,” she says laughing at herself.

Earlier at her children’s school, where we had agreed to meet, I couldn’t wait to see the just crowned queen of Ugandan motorsport in action on a regular road. I even half expected her car to come tearing down the road. Instead, it is the phone that alerts me that she has arrived, noiselessly for a speed champion in a Subaru.

I later learn what she calls her ‘street car’ is a Subaru N10, not much different from the one in which she won the National Rally Championships (NRC) title. “Driving a similar car is like practice for me. I get the feel of it,” she says. She drives effortlessly I notice, easily talking while operating the manual car and the short ride to the restaurant seems even shorter.

Queen of the tracks
Super-lady as her fans have affectionately named her is still reeling from the euphoric NRC win. Her phone rings every five minutes and I had to relentlessly call her to get this interview. She is making a valiant effort to stay chipper, but I can see it has been a long day for her. Driving from interview to interview, answering countless questions about the big win. It’s inevitable we have to talk about the victory.

I want to know how she feels about it all, right from when she heard the announcement to dealing with the media circus and congratulatory messages. “I almost didn’t believe it, it all happened so fast! I mean I was confident about my ability to win, but then when it became apparent, I was so overwhelmed that I cried,” she says, then quickly adds those were tears of joy. After the initial disbelief, the reality of the victory sunk in and she joined her fans in celebrating.

She also feels this is a timely win, a rewarding title after six years toiling away on circuits and rally tracks. “I deserve this win, I put a lot of effort through the years and have been working towards this, she says. She assumes a somewhat serious expression when she explains how she almost gave up through the years. “I miraculously came out unscathed after rolling twice and sometimes could not finish races due to mechanical problems.

It was also tough when I didn’t have sponsors,” she says pensively. Muwonge also remembers how some detractors didn’t think a woman could win the NRC title. “They went as far as publicly announcing the sport would go down if a woman won the championship,” she says. Those words set a new challenge for her to prove that women can not only participate in, but also win motorsport titles, fair and square.

The wife and mother of four started her romance with motorsports in 2004 when she attended a circuit rally in Lubiiri. “I saw Rose Lwakataka and Leila Mayanja and was challenged. I also wanted to conquer the notion that motorsport is a man’s sport,” says Muwonge who admits to loving fast cars even before her rally days.

Muwonge then expressed interest and Ponsiano Lwakataka took her under his wing, training her in everything. Barely a year later, she took part in her first circuit race, becoming the 15th out of about 20 drivers. The rest, as Sunday’s victory ensured, is history. She amassed enough points though six events to seal the position as this year’s NRC championship title holder with 465 points. Her closest rival, mentor Lwakataka completed the season with 340 points.

Doting mother and home maker
It is hard to connect the super lady who isn’t afraid of driving a car at breakneck speed to the doting mother and homemaker. She only goes out with her family and has girlfriends with whom she talks “girl stuff”. She also admits to being terrified of crawly things like snakes and spiders and will run off in panic if she sees one.

The Muwonge people know wears a helmet and negotiates hairpin curves on rough roads, the one her family sees every day thinks hair is the beauty of a woman and spends time and money to make sure it stays that way. “I am a regular down to earth person deep inside. My style is simple and smart,” she says. She might look like she has nerves of steel when flying over bumps and accelerating on the circuit, but she has the same concerns every woman has. She tells me she doesn’t wear makeup because her skin is sensitive and keeps fussing over her white trousers.

Muwonge is eternally grateful to her husband Lawrence Muwonge, a great motorsport fan and head teacher at Budo SSS. “I discussed my interest in the sport with him first and he even bought me my first car,” she says, adding that if he had objected, she would have abandoned the sport long ago.

“My children always want to know how I did in a race and my youngest daughter often imitates me with her toy cars.” The rest of her family made peace with the fact that she loved the sport. “To date, some of my family members still wonder how their darling ended up in a male dominated high adrenalin sport.” She says. She does not remember having any special interest in sport at St Henrys Buyego where she did her O’ levels or Gombe SS where she went for her A’ levels.

Right now Muwonge is barely resting but she knows all the furore will die down after some time. “I will then go back to being the regular homemaker, cooking and cleaning and taking care of my family,” she says with a little smile. She intends to take 2012 off from rallying, but only to savour her victory and prepare for bigger things. “I am now setting my eyes on travelling for regional then international events if I get sponsors.” she says.

christine wanjiru wanjala,

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