Mubiru toasts to first title
Crowning glory. Mubiru is hoisted high by members of his Kikankane Rally Team after clinching the title on Saturday. PHOTO | JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
- Rogers Sirwomu, also a navigator, thinks Mubiru’s switching of cars during the season negated his chances before. Sirwomu argues that over the past five seasons, Mubiru had never driven the same car and that switch did not help his cause.
They showed maturity and composure and wore no excitement. Those are the attributes that Duncan ‘Kikankane’ Mubiru and his co-driver showed to win a first National Rally Championship (NRC).
Needing to finish seventh, Mubiru came fifth in the Sexy Speed Rally organised by Motorsport Africa Club (Mosac) in Jinja City to shed the “nearly man” tag, a decade since he started racing.
His Subaru GVB was visibly slow and cautious. He could not win any of the five sections.
“In this event, we had the unusual speeds just to keep within the target. It is the slowest pace we have done and the strategy worked,” said Mubiru, who had his first finish in Jinja in 10 years to accumulate 410 points from six events.
Omar Mayanja won the rally in a Mitsubishi Evo X to jump to second position in the final NRC standings with 360 points.
Three-time national champion Ronald Sebuguzi finished second, while Rajiv Ruparelia, Mike Mukuka Jr, Abdul Katete, Ibrahim Lubega failed to finish.
Why it was Mubiru
Former championship winning navigator Leon Senyange says Mubiru has matured a lot over the years.
“Championships are not won by just winning one or two events. One has to be consistent by collecting as many points as possible,” Ssenyange said.
“Since he joined rallying a decade ago, Mubiru has been driving for fans and at some point was driving to please himself. This season, he did his home work well, that is why he is now a champion.”
Rogers Sirwomu, also a navigator, thinks Mubiru’s switching of cars during the season negated his chances before. Sirwomu argues that over the past five seasons, Mubiru had never driven the same car and that switch did not help his cause.
Mubiru used the Subaru GVB to win SMC Semabale Rally, finished second in the UMC Kassanda and Umospoc Kabalega events.
He also had two-time national champion Susan Muwonge (2011 and 2018) as team manager and that had a phenomenal effect.
