Rallying returns to Bugisu with tricky Mount Elgon race

By Douglas Mazune

When motor rally returns to Mbale after 14 years, competitors will not only have to contend with unfamiliar terrain but also a ‘marathon route’ design of the competitive sections.

With the 2013 National Rally Championship (NRC) already sealed by Jas Mangat, drivers are left with bragging rights for the OiLibya Mount Elgon Rally, arguably the toughest motor event of the season, slated for December 6-7.

The race has an 83.9km competitive section that starts at Busiu and ends at Magale near the Uganda-Kenya border— which is 5-km longer than the journey from Kampala to Jinja. The ‘marathon’ section will be repeated.

 The other section in Budadiri, which is 35km, will be repeated as well.

Clerk of Course, Jeff Kabagambe while speaking at the launch where OiLibya injected sh30m in the event, cautioned competitors to be mindful of the high altitude Mount Elgon area.

“This race presents a real challenge and whoever wins it will be a special champion. Sixty percent of the route is fast, 20 percent tight and 20 percent really rough. This is not your usual route so it is prudent for competitors to pay more attention to route reccing,” Kabagambe stated.

Kabagambe explained that safety and time marshals will be more active as well because at some point an estimated 18 cars will be running in the 83.9km, at an interval of three minutes.

The organisers, Motorsport Africa Club appealed to local motorsport body, FMU, to make it an annual event.

“We don’t do things as a one-off so we hope this race will be a permanent feature on the calendar. Safety is paramount and all stakeholders should observe it,” OiLibya country manager Abdulbari Abdirahman said at the launch.

The super special stage will be held at Mbale Municipal stadium on December 6 ahead of the 240-km first leg the next day.