Rakai boy zooming his way to the top
If you judge him by the looks, Ponsiano Lwakataka is your average youngman from Kyotera in Rakai district.
By Joshua Kato
If you judge him by the looks, Ponsiano Lwakataka is your average youngman from Kyotera in Rakai district.
He is,
however, one of the most daring and entertaining rally drivers in the country today. He has just been declared second best rally driver in Uganda this year, leaving behind him Emma Katto, Charles Muhanji, Ranjit Kuku and Wycliffe Bukenya.
His biggest achievement this year was his finishing in the second position finishing in the prestigious TOTAL Pearl of Africa rally, in which Africa’s best drivers took part. He has also consistently finished second or third in six of
the eight local rallies.
Despite his age, Lwakataka is one of the most popular drivers in the country. His fan base is only beaten by Charlie Lubega, Charles Muhangi, Moses Lumala and Emma Katto. This is incredible, given the fact that there are more than 40 drivers in Uganda.
He started rallying October 2000.
“It was spontaneous.I had been following rally cars for sometime and then I realised I could drive as fast as those top rally drivers,†he says.
He also had the experience as a biker.
“I soon acquired a Toyota Levin and entered the last rally in October 2000. It was a whole new experience,†he says. It was, however, a challenge he he was not prepared for.
“I felt nervous as the marshal counted down the last seconds before take off,†he says. “I tried to rev up the car, but did not exactly do that.†He said after driving for some distance, he gained confidence.
With the growing urge for speed, Lwakataka graduated into a better car — a Subaru Legacy.
“My foot had grown too heavy for the weaker Levin, so my fans advised me to acquire a better car.â€
Currently, he owns three Subaru Imprenza rally cars and a Subaru Legacy.
In competitions, he uses two of the Subarus.
In every rally, mechanics decide which of them is to move with the main car,†Lwakataka explains.
Rallying, he says, is not as simple as people think. “It is not all about speeding. You need more concentration in a rally car than in an ordinary one because you are driving faster. Any slight mistake means an accident,†he says.
And accidents did come regularly for the young driver. In his early years, Lwakataka used to roll his car a lot. His fans were always disappointed.
In one of the incident, at Nakifuma, he rolled his Subaru. He amused rally fans when he simply plucked off a few gadgets from the wretch and left it in the bush. It was completely writen off!
But Lwakataka says rolling is part of rallying. “Any driver who drives fast can roll,†he says. He, however, admits that in his early years of rallying, he was a bit careless.
In another incident in 2001, while testing his new Subaru car, he hit a pedestrian on Mawanda Road in Kampala, a mob tried to lynch him but he pulled out a pistol and sent them scampering. He, however, missed the rally.
His fans and observers say he has come this far because of his fearlessness. “I can beat the best drivers in here if I get a car as powerful as theirs,†he says.
His friends agree, “ He is not afraid of the fastest Ugandan drivers. His word before any rally is, “I will beat them,†says his manager, Dusman Okee .
Yet, some of his fans think it is this very high belief in himself that has sometimes prevented him from performing better.
Lwakataka’s ambition is to become a champion in the whole of Africa next year. “I intend to acquire a better car for the next season,†he says.
With determination and zeal, there is no doubt he will achieve this. However, he needs million of shillings to drive in the African Rally. In Uganda’s recent rallying history, only Charles Muhangi has reached this far.
Lwakataka is sponsored by WBS television, Kilimanjaro Ice, Byansi Fisheries, among others.
“I am grateful to all my sponsors. They have made me what I am today,†he says. But he adds that he needs more sponsors if he is to go for the Africa Rally Championships.
Born about 30 years ago, Lwakataka did not go further than secondary school in his education. However, this has not hindered is success in life.
He owns shares in several fish processing factories in the country, on top of several fishing boats on Lake Vicoria. He is also the chairman for fish traders and exporters in the country.
A a family man Lwakataka has faced some challenges or discouragements in the rallying sport.
“My wifetried to discourage me at the beginning but after realising that rallying was not as dangerous as she thought, she now comes a long to watch me drive,†he says.
He adds, “I will not discourage any of my children from taking part in the sport. I started this and the trend must continue.â€
Ends
If you judge him by the looks, Ponsiano Lwakataka is your average youngman from Kyotera in Rakai district.
He is,
however, one of the most daring and entertaining rally drivers in the country today. He has just been declared second best rally driver in Uganda this year, leaving behind him Emma Katto, Charles Muhanji, Ranjit Kuku and Wycliffe Bukenya.
His biggest achievement this year was his finishing in the second position finishing in the prestigious TOTAL Pearl of Africa rally, in which Africa’s best drivers took part. He has also consistently finished second or third in six of
the eight local rallies.
Despite his age, Lwakataka is one of the most popular drivers in the country. His fan base is only beaten by Charlie Lubega, Charles Muhangi, Moses Lumala and Emma Katto. This is incredible, given the fact that there are more than 40 drivers in Uganda.
He started rallying October 2000.
“It was spontaneous.I had been following rally cars for sometime and then I realised I could drive as fast as those top rally drivers,†he says.
He also had the experience as a biker.
“I soon acquired a Toyota Levin and entered the last rally in October 2000. It was a whole new experience,†he says. It was, however, a challenge he he was not prepared for.
“I felt nervous as the marshal counted down the last seconds before take off,†he says. “I tried to rev up the car, but did not exactly do that.†He said after driving for some distance, he gained confidence.
With the growing urge for speed, Lwakataka graduated into a better car — a Subaru Legacy.
“My foot had grown too heavy for the weaker Levin, so my fans advised me to acquire a better car.â€
Currently, he owns three Subaru Imprenza rally cars and a Subaru Legacy.
In competitions, he uses two of the Subarus.
In every rally, mechanics decide which of them is to move with the main car,†Lwakataka explains.
Rallying, he says, is not as simple as people think. “It is not all about speeding. You need more concentration in a rally car than in an ordinary one because you are driving faster. Any slight mistake means an accident,†he says.
And accidents did come regularly for the young driver. In his early years, Lwakataka used to roll his car a lot. His fans were always disappointed.
In one of the incident, at Nakifuma, he rolled his Subaru. He amused rally fans when he simply plucked off a few gadgets from the wretch and left it in the bush. It was completely writen off!
But Lwakataka says rolling is part of rallying. “Any driver who drives fast can roll,†he says. He, however, admits that in his early years of rallying, he was a bit careless.
In another incident in 2001, while testing his new Subaru car, he hit a pedestrian on Mawanda Road in Kampala, a mob tried to lynch him but he pulled out a pistol and sent them scampering. He, however, missed the rally.
His fans and observers say he has come this far because of his fearlessness. “I can beat the best drivers in here if I get a car as powerful as theirs,†he says.
His friends agree, “ He is not afraid of the fastest Ugandan drivers. His word before any rally is, “I will beat them,†says his manager, Dusman Okee .
Yet, some of his fans think it is this very high belief in himself that has sometimes prevented him from performing better.
Lwakataka’s ambition is to become a champion in the whole of Africa next year. “I intend to acquire a better car for the next season,†he says.
With determination and zeal, there is no doubt he will achieve this. However, he needs million of shillings to drive in the African Rally. In Uganda’s recent rallying history, only Charles Muhangi has reached this far.
Lwakataka is sponsored by WBS television, Kilimanjaro Ice, Byansi Fisheries, among others.
“I am grateful to all my sponsors. They have made me what I am today,†he says. But he adds that he needs more sponsors if he is to go for the Africa Rally Championships.
Born about 30 years ago, Lwakataka did not go further than secondary school in his education. However, this has not hindered is success in life.
He owns shares in several fish processing factories in the country, on top of several fishing boats on Lake Vicoria. He is also the chairman for fish traders and exporters in the country.
A a family man Lwakataka has faced some challenges or discouragements in the rallying sport.
“My wifetried to discourage me at the beginning but after realising that rallying was not as dangerous as she thought, she now comes a long to watch me drive,†he says.
He adds, “I will not discourage any of my children from taking part in the sport. I started this and the trend must continue.â€
Ends