The Rise Of The Proto Rally Cars In Uganda
By Mwambazi Lawrence
Every generation comes with its own changes and developments. Once upon a time, rally drivers in Uganda were content with their Group N cars machines that followed all the rules, played it safe, and did what the FIA told them to. But oh, how times have changed! Uganda is slowly morphing into a proto-nation as drivers ditch the old-school rally cars for wild, unrestricted, high-performance monsters known as Proto cars.
Now, if you don’t know what a proto car is, sit down and let me educate you before you embarrass yourself in a petrolhead conversation. These machines weigh less than your average rally car, meaning they have a higher power-to-weight ratio. Basically, they fly. They aren’t restricted by the dull Group N rules, meaning drivers can upgrade and modify them to their heart’s desire. We’re talking about sequential gearboxes, extended suspension travel, and expanded cooling packages that could probably keep your grandmother’s entire village cool during a heatwave.
Rajiv Ruperelia was the first to bring a VW Proto into Uganda, and let’s just say the rally scene felt the earth tremble as that beast roared onto the stages! It was like a thunderstorm had hit everyone stopped, stared, and whispered, “What in the rally world is that?!”
Teaming up with Enoch Olinga, the dynamic duo made their mark under the RR Rally Team banner, and boy, did they shake things up! With the VW Proto, they weren’t just competing they were rewriting the playbook, turning heads, and leaving rivals wondering if they were still playing the same game. Rajiv and Enoch didn’t just make a name for themselves; they cemented their place in rally history as the Proto pioneers who kicked the door wide open for the revolution that followed.
The 2nd Ugandan rally driver to take the leap of faith was none other than Duncan Mubiru, aka Kikankane, in 2022. When he rolled in with a Ford Fiesta NRC Proto from Latvia, jaws dropped faster than a rally car hitting a ditch.
“He has imported a toy car,” skeptics scoffed.
“He’s bringing a spaceship to a bicycle race,” others chuckled.
But guess what? The “toy car” started stacking podiums like a hustler stacking side gigs. Wins rolled in faster than election campaign promises, and suddenly, the critics weren’t laughing anymore they were taking notes! Before we knew it, the Proto Revolution had begun.
Once Duncan proved that a Proto car was the ultimate rally cheat code, Ronald Sebuguzi took one look and said, “Hold my helmet!” There was no way he was going to be left behind, not while there were podiums to steal and egos to bruise. So, he got himself a Ford Fiesta Proto, and just like that, another heavyweight joined the revolution. Since then, Sebuguzi’s Proto has been terrorizing rally stages like a caffeine-fueled teenager on a dirt bike grabbing podiums, snatching victories, and leaving his rivals wondering if they should upgrade or just take up knitting!
Then came John Consta yes, the John Consta who had been on a break so long that rumors swirled he was either training to be a monk or starting a photocopy business. Retirement? Maybe. But then, like a long-lost lover, a Ford Fiesta Proto winked at him from across the garage. It was love at first rev! With the engine growling like an unsupervised toddler in a candy store, Consta threw his printer dreams out the window, strapped in, and roared back onto the rally scene. And let’s be honest since then, the only thing he’s been printing is dust on his competition!Enter the Legend
If you thought the Proto Revolution was just for the young and restless, think again! Enter Moses Lumala the legend, the myth, the man who probably taught half the grid how to take a corner. Recently, he sent shockwaves through the rally world when he secured a Ford Fiesta NRC Proto from Neiksan Rally Sport in Latvia. Now, his car is en route to Uganda, and the anticipation is so intense that boda boda riders have abandoned their usual gossip about football and village drama now it’s all, “Lumala’s Proto is landing soon, banange!” Mechanics are sharpening their spanners, fans are dusting off their old Lumala banners, and somewhere, a rally rival is pretending not to be worried.
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Just when you thought the Proto scene couldn’t get any wilder, in swoops Hassan Alwi Jr, shaking things up like a rally car on a muddy stage! Word on the street (and by street, we mean the very quiet whispers in the rally paddocks) is that Alwi has joined the Proto movement, and his Ford Fiesta Proto is currently making its way to Uganda. But true to Alwi’s style, he’s keeping it all under wraps. The man is practically a walking vault his lips tighter than a torque wrench on a rally car. The fans are itching to see it in action, but Alwi? Well, he’d rather leave them guessing until the moment he drops the hammer. Talk about a master of suspense!
Meanwhile, speculations are flying left, right, and center that the daredevil himself, Ponsiano Lwakataka, is plotting to get a proto car. If this happens, we might witness an era where rally cars fly higher than boda bodas on Kampala’s pothole-ridden roads. And guess what? Musa Segaabwe is also said to be eyeing a proto car, though he’s still weighing his options like a man in a rolex joint trying to decide whether to add an extra egg or nyanya mbisi.
If you thought the proto fever was only hitting the usual suspects, brace yourself. Mike Mukula Jr yes, the man of class, suits, and high-flying ambitions is also rumored to be shifting gears into a proto car soon . At this rate, even taxi drivers might start inquiring about how to upgrade their Toyota Hiaces into proto vans!
The proto movement is clearly Uganda’s new motorsport craze, but what does this mean for the competition? With two R5 cars already in the country, driven by Yasin Nasser and Jas Mangat, it looks like the battle for dominance is about to hit turbo mode. The big question is: will the R5s keep up with the rising proto fleet, or will they be left eating dust?
One thing is for sure Ugandan rallying has entered a new era, and the noise from these proto cars will soon be louder than your neighbor’s generator during load shedding. Buckle up, folks! The proto invasion has just begun!
About The Author
ok. nice comedy for change, but a couple of lighters if i may.
1) the Grp N cars just phased out of stock production and as such maintaining proved a hard paper, let alone the fact that they are not very many for sale and the unavailability of spares without having to cue or have a special production of parts
2) Only Sebuguzi Proto has been consistent since it landed on the scene with the VW proto decommissioned and Kikankanes out for a whole year alongside Constas that featured in about 3 events in 2 years.
3) we always hear rumours of cars so, until we actually have them on the start line….i would not call us a proto country just yet.
Besides those are “beasts of burden” because they are expensive to procure and very costly to run.
but we hope that the rallying scene comes up with a format that will be friendly to rallying costs so these machines can serenade our ears with sounds that match the optical illusion that makes us tremble and shiver with octane excitement.
i am just saying.