UMC Fort Portal Tourism City Rally Officially Launched
By Mwambazi Lawrence
The Supremacy Lounge played host to the official launch of the UMC Fort Portal Tourism City Rally today and trust me, it wasn’t just about handshakes and speeches. It was a full-on motorsport family reunion, with key stakeholders, drivers, sponsors, and fans turning up to exchange both warm greetings and light-hearted trash talk about who’s going to “eat dust” come race day. Among the rally royalty present were 2010 NRC champion Nasser Mutebi, Isaac Sozzi, Peter Kalule, Faizal Kayira, and several other drivers who looked like they’d already mentally driven all the stages… and survived them.
The event, scheduled for 22nd to 24th August, will be the 5th round of the NRC and will cover a total of 280 km 125 km competitive and 155 km liaison stretching through Kyenjojo and Fort Portal districts. Kyenjojo will host two stages, each run twice, plus a superspecial stage right in the middle of town for fans to scream themselves hoarse. Fort Portal will then pick up on day2 with three stages, two repeated and one acting as the power stage perfect for that last-minute “all-or-nothing” dash that either earns you glory or a very awkward ride back to service.
Cars will go through scrutineering on Friday, August 22nd, in Fort Portal, followed by a ceremonial start at Panorama Hotel a classy venue for drivers to look fresh before they go out and make their cars look very dirty.
As the 5th round of the National Rally Championship, the stakes are sky-high. The championship battle is still wide open, meaning one wrong turn, one over-enthusiastic handbrake pull, or one tiny note misread by the co-driver could send title dreams rolling… literally.
Stage Previews
- Dr. Henry Maseruka Stage (17.33 km) – The opening act in Kyenjojo. Narrow and tight to start, slippery in the middle if it rains, and then a high-speed finish where late braking is not advised unless you enjoy panoramic views from a ditch.
- Red Sun International Stage (15.36 km) – Very fast with half the stage cleared and leveled. Starts like a rocket but teases drivers with tricky corners through villages. This is the “blink and you miss your apex” type of stage.
- Superspecial Stage – Head-to-head duels right in the heart of Kyenjojo Town. Expect speed, noise, and fans screaming advice the drivers can’t hear over their exhaust notes.
Day 2
- Mukwano Karmali Stage (15.21 km) – Starts in tea plantations, clean and narrow but treacherous when wet. Has drops and a river crossing, so co-drivers better have their notes straight.
- Roma Motors Stage (13.33 km) – The infamous one. Just saying its name makes Joshua Muwanguzi twitch it’s where he lost his maiden NRC win last year . Clean, fast, with two hairpins that will either make for epic photos or epic recoveries.
- Trade Mate Cloud Stage (12.53 km) – Also the power stage. Starts quick, narrows down, turns rocky and slippery, then ends with fast jumps designed to catch out overconfident drivers. Fans will love it. Drivers… maybe less so.
With sponsors like KCB Bank, Red Sun International, Trade Mate Cloud, and Dr. Henry Maseruka backing the show, everything is set for a spectacular rally weekend.
The weather? Cool. The people? Warm and ready. The competition? Savage. The only thing left is for drivers to keep their cars pointed in the right direction and for fans to pack enough snacks because in Fort Portal, rally time is full-time entertainment.
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