Uganda’s Yasin Nasser on the Brink of Ending a 26-Year ARC Drought
By Mwambazi Lawrence
It looks like Uganda might finally be ready to dust off the old celebration drums. After 26 years of waiting, chewing fingernails, and shouting at rally cars like they can hear us, the African Rally Championship (ARC) could finally be coming home.
Uganda’s very own Yasin Nasser and his co-driver Ali Katumba are leading the championship heading into the fifth and final round in Morogoro, Tanzania. At the Moil camp, preparations are so serious you’d think they were preparing for a rally wedding cars being polished, strategies tightened, and mechanics working like caffeine is a food group.
The last time Uganda celebrated an ARC crown was back in 1999, when the late Charles Muhangiand his Subaru Impreza Ekitaguriro danced all the way to the title. Since then, Uganda has been like that guy at the village party waiting for his turn on the microphone patient, hopeful, but starting to wonder if the MC even has his name on the list.
This year, the maths is simple but scarier than an exam without reading: Yasin needs to finish first or second to become champion. Sounds easy, right? Well, first he has to survive the flying Kenyans – Samman Vohra and Karan Patel (who we’re not even sure will show up, the man skipped Burundi like it was a boring lecture). And then there’s Ahmed Huwel, now in a Toyota Yaris, but honestly, Yasin has bigger fish to fry than Ahmed Huwel.
Back home, Ugandan fans are in championship mode already. Buses are being booked, savings boxes cracked open, and people are negotiating with landlords to postpone rent all in the name of traveling to Tanzania. Expect to see Ugandan supporters in Morogoro carrying flags, vuvuzelas, And if Yasin wins, Morogoro will hear ululations that can be picked up by Google Maps.
If he pulls it off, Uganda will finally end the ARC drought, and the celebrations will be louder than a turbo blow-off valve in a tunnel. After 26 years of waiting, crying, and “almosts,” Ugandans are ready. This time, it might just be coming home and when it does, expect the whole country to celebrate until further notice.
About The Author
