Kisitu has been motorsport's loyal servant

The Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU) goes to polls this Saturday with Kisitu Mayanja, Arthur Blick Jr and Jack Wavamunno contesting for presidency. New Vision’s DOUGLAS MAZUNE, profiles Kisitu, assesses his credentials and weighs his chances of ascending to FMU presidency.

Who is Kisitu Mayanja?

Kisitu who turned 52 years on January 27 was born and bred in the city. He went to old Kampala Primary School and later crossed over to the nearby secondary was Old Kampala S.S from 1971-74.

He went to Masaka Technical Institute (1975-76) where he studied automobile engineering. He then left for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) where he joined the People’s Friendship University, Kiev campus which is now in the present day Ukraine. He graduated with a Bachelors’ of Automobile engineering.

He did a postgraduate diploma in diesel engineering at the Ohio State University (1982-83) which he followed up with a diploma in Public Administration at Uganda Management Institute.

He’s an associate member of International Motor Industry (AIMI). He worked with the Ministry of Cooperatives and Marketing (1984-86) as a technician before joining Walusimbi’s Garage as workshop supervisor (1991-2001). He retired into private transport business until recently when switched to real estate business.

Sporting profile

Kisitu started competing in 1984 as a co-driver in a Fiat 850. He later bought a Datsun SS 1500 and offered Edris Luwagga to drive it on its first outing.

He wrecked it in the 1986 Spear Motors Rally and returned to navigating thereafter. In 1994 he bought a Celica TCT which he drove for one year and then acquired a Toyota Carolla which he gave to his brother Joshua Mayanja.

Kisitu has never been a national champion, he dropped out of the Pearl from 1997-2002. He won the Marshals Sprint in 2000 as George Kagimu’s co-driver. He won the Moonlight Rally as Charles Muhangi’s co-driver in 2002.

He was the co-driver when Muhangi won the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally in 2000.

Sports management credentials

He was Clerk of Course for a number of Formula Shell rallies organised by UMOSPOC in the 1990s and served in the same position for the Pearl of Africa Rally (2006-2009).

He was part of the team that transformed motorcycling from grass track racing to motocross. He was a Foreign International Jury member of the Africa Motocross championship editions in Zambia (2005) and Kenya (2007).

In 2007 he was appointed member of FIM (Africa) court of inquiry. He is currently a commissioner for FIM environment commission. He served as FMU assistant secretary (2000-2002), vice president for motorcycling (2003-2005) and vice president motorsport (2005-2010). He has of late been volunteering in compiling results.

Kisitu’s strengths and shortfalls He is one of the most knowledgeable officials on sport’s regulations, always available to serve the sport even when his term of office had ended.

He is easily accessible. But his involvement in the Freedom City Rally controversy affected his reputation. Kisitu’s modest character could also be his undoing as well. He does not command that aura of confidence and influence which FMU past and outgoing presidents have always exhibited.