WRC Safari Rally Uganda’s Fans Are Coming And They’ve Packed Madness, Matooke, and Mouths That Don’t Shut
By Mwambazi Lawrence
If you have ever attended a rally event and thought the atmosphere was “crazy,” then you have clearly never stood next to Ugandan fans at a motorsport event. As the WRC Safari Rally inches closer, the rally diehards from the Pearl of Africa have declared war on silence, sanity, and anything remotely resembling “chill.” Buckle up Nairobi and Naivasha the noise levels are about to skyrocket!.
As we speak, WhatsApp groups across Uganda are on fire with travel plans. From Masaka to Arua, fans are discussing bus hire, fuel contributions, and whether to carry jerrycans of local brew just in case “these Nairobi beers refuse to work.” You’ll find vans and buses decorated like Christmas trees, with rally stickers, Ugandan flags, and someone’s cousin hanging halfway out the window blowing a vuvuzela.
One rally fan Isma Mijagulo had this to say
“I sold my fridge, my sofa, and half of my wedding suit to fund this trip. I cannot miss seeing Yasin Nasser overtaking a WRC car in full Ugandan swag. This is history! Plus, Kenyan beer tastes better when you shout ‘flat out’ into the glass.”
By the time they hit Busia border, Kenyan officials will already know: “Ah! The Ugandans are here bwana.” No need for introduction just follow the trail of grilled chicken smoke, loud laughter, and a convoy playlist alternating between Kadodi music, Sheebah songs, and engine revving sound effects.
This year, Uganda is proudly sending two rally crews to represent the Pearl of Africa in the wild terrain of the Safari Rally. Leading the charge is none other than Yasin Nasser and his co-driver Ali Katumba men so brave they would probably attempt to rally in a thunderstorm with one wiper and two prayers. Joining them is the fearless Timothy Gawaya, co-driven by Wamala Francis, who reportedly told his village mates: “If I survive Naivasha, they should name the trading center after me.”
For Gawaya, this is his first shot at WRC action, and we expect him to return to Uganda with a Kenyan accent, referring to boda bodas as “pikis” and matooke as “matoke.” We’ve also been reliably informed that after Safari Rally, Gawaya will no longer respond to “Timothy.” Please call him Mr. WRC Material.
Ugandan rally fans take their dress code very seriously. First, the signature rally tshirts whether you drive, spectate, or simply showed up to escort the cooler box. Then, the national flag becomes a cape, a bandana, or a tablecloth at the fan campsite. Expect fans to show up in everything from reflective vests to helmets (that nobody asked them to wear). One notorious fan from Mbale has promised to arrive painted in black and yellow stripes, declaring himself the “Uganda Rally Bee.”
And If there’s one thing Uganda fans don’t know, it’s silence. These are the same people who will shout “flat outttt!!!” at a car that is clearly broken down and being pushed by disappointed mechanics. Kenyan fans will learn that Ugandans cheer for everyone even the rally ambulance and will celebrate anything from a good corner drift to a random lizard crossing the road.
Ugandan fans are not scared of a little dirt or a lot of it. In fact, they wear rally dust like designer perfume. Many have already declared they will refuse to bathe until the final stage is done a decision that has divided households back home.
As for food, the Ugandan camp will have more smoke than a factory chimney. Roasted goat, roadside chicken, and at least one suspicious saucepan of katogo will feature and one mysterious pot labeled “Special Rally Stew Eat at Your Own Risk. so If you see smoke near the viewing point, don’t call the fire brigade it’s just Team Uganda roasting 15 chickens on the bonnet of a parked Evo.
Once the dust settles and engines go silent, our fans and crews will return home louder, prouder, and with completely fabricated stories. By the time they get to Jinja, the legend will be that Timothy Gawaya set a stage record, Ali Katumba changed a puncture in 30 seconds blindfolded, and Yassin Nasser got a personal call from the President of Kenya congratulating him for bringing “rally vibes” to East Africa.
There’s also an ongoing fan debate back home that we need to settle: after this Safari Rally, can we still put Jas Mangat and Timothy Gawaya in the same sentence? Timothy has already warned the doubters: “When I finish Safari, even my boda guy must call me Engineer WRC Sir Gawaya Timothy International.”
Fan reaction to Gawaya’s debut:
“After this rally, Gawaya is no longer our friend. He will be a national treasure. We might even put his face on the 5k note.”
So to all rally fans across East Africa brace yourselves! Uganda is coming, not quietlyThey are coming to colonize Naivasha with vibes, volume, and vibes again. If you see a fan arguing with a Zebra about racing lines, just mind your business it’s all part of the experience.
Naivasha, clear the stages. Uganda is coming. Flat out or nothing!
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