By Frank Kaheesi, Mbale
Veteran driver Moses Lumala, co-driven by Cedric Buzabo, has dedicated his podium finish to his rally trainer, Maris Neiksan, following a spirited performance over the weekend.
Lumala’s push for a stronger result only gained momentum after a candid intervention from Neiksan, who questioned his conservative pace despite the car being mechanically sound.
“After the first two stages on Friday, I felt too tired to continue. Deep inside, I thought it was age catching up with me,” Lumala explained.
“But when I reached the service park, my mechanic, who also doubles as my trainer, Maris Neiksan, showed me onboard videos and asked why I was driving as if I was going for a wedding!”
After reviewing the footage together, Lumala vowed to improve in the subsequent stages—a promise he went on to fulfill.
His resurgence was evident in the Yasin Nasser stage, where the experienced driver outpaced eventual rally winner Hassan Alwi by eight seconds, a performance that reignited his campaign.
Following the first service, Lumala’s stage times improved significantly, lifting him up the standings.
Backed by encouragement from friends and his service crew, he maintained the momentum through the remaining stages of the day.
Before the afternoon loop, Lumala had already set his sights on a podium finish, which he pursued aggressively in the repeated stages of Dr. Arthur Ahimbisibwe (16.4km) and Yasin Nasser (12.2km).
As fate would have it, the returning driver crossed the final control point with the third-best overall time. Earlier rally leader Hassan Alwi cemented his dominance, clinching victory with a total time of 1:12:42.
Musa Ssegabwe, who had initially finished second, was later excluded from the final results after being found in breach of Article 56.1 of the FMU National Competition Rules.
The development elevated Lumala from third to second place overall, with a total time of 1:16:11, while Ethiopian driver Stefano Valeri, who is set to compete in the 2026 KCB National Rally Championship, moved up from fourth to third.
Reacting to Ssegabwe’s exclusion, Lumala urged his fellow competitor to remain resilient, noting that motorsport is governed strictly by rules.
Elsewhere, reigning two-wheel drive (2WD) champion Mansoor Lubega dominated his category, posting a winning time of 1:28:58.
KCB-sponsored crews Oscar Ntambi and Nasser Mutebi, both driving Mitsubishi Evo X machines, delivered commendable performances to finish fourth and fifth overall respectively, also securing a team trophy.
Their achievement came despite the early retirement of teammate Mike Amukula Junior, who exited the rally on day one.
The crew of Haruna Kataza and David Mwesigwa, driving a Subaru Impreza, emerged as the most entertaining pair of the weekend.
The rally now shifts to the Western region of Ankole for the next round, scheduled for May 2026.
