Alwi Jr’s Title Dream Within Touching Distance As Hoima Showdown Beckons
By Mwambazi Lawrence
If there is one driver who has given the 2026 KCB National Rally Championship a serious headache, it is Hassan Alwi Jr. The young man has been on a mission, and with the championship now entering its decisive stages, he is beginning to smell something sweeter than burnt rally tyres his maiden national championship title!
The Ford Fiesta Proto sensation needs just a fourth-place finish in Hoima to seal the 2026 KCB National Rally Championship with one round to spare. (Photo credit John Batanudde.
Alwi is on the verge of writing a new chapter in his rallying career following a superb season that has seen him combine speed and consistency alongside his experienced co-driver Musa Nsubuga. Ever since upgrading to the Ford Fiesta Proto, Alwi has been nothing short of exceptional. The car has been flying, the pace notes have been flowing, and the results have been speaking louder than a rally car launching off the start ramp.
The 2026 campaign started in spectacular fashion in Mbale, where Alwi and Nsubuga claimed victory in the opening round. It was the perfect way to introduce their new championship ambitions, sending an early warning to the rest of the competitors that the Ford Fiesta Proto had not come to the championship to admire the scenery.
The crew then carried that momentum into the prestigious Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, where they finished fourth. Although they missed out on the podium, the result was another important addition to their championship account. In rallying, sometimes fourth place can be just as sweet as victory, especially when your competitors are busy celebrating while you are quietly collecting championship points.
The third round in Masaka saw the pair return to the top step of the podium, delivering another commanding performance to finish number one. Alwi and Nsubuga were back in business, and the championship rivals were once again reminded that the Ford Fiesta Proto was not just making noise for entertainment.
If Masaka was impressive, Soroti was another demonstration of the crew’s growing confidence. The pair secured yet another victory, making it back to back winning performances and further strengthening their championship ambitions. At this point, some competitors were probably beginning to wonder whether Alwi had secretly installed a championship-winning button somewhere inside the Ford Fiesta Proto!
However, the championship journey has not been entirely smooth. The Gulu Rally presented a different challenge, with Alwi and Nsubuga settling for fourth position. But rather than panic or throw their championship calculators out of the window, the crew remained focused on the bigger picture. Their latest outing in Kyenjojo and Kamwenge produced another valuable result, with the pair finishing second. It was not the top step of the podium they would have preferred, but in a championship battle, second place is certainly better than explaining to your mechanics why the car is coming home on a recovery truck!
With six rounds completed, Alwi now sits comfortably at the summit of the championship standings with an impressive 338 points. More importantly, the mathematics are increasingly working in his favour. The seventh round of the KCB National Rally Championship, scheduled for November 20–21 in Hoima, could be the weekend Hassan Alwi Jr finally gets to celebrate his maiden national rally championship title.
The mathematics are simple, although the rally stages might have other ideas. Alwi needs only a fourth-place finish to secure the 2026 NRC crown with one event still remaining on the calendar. That means the Ford Fiesta Proto crew does not necessarily need to win Hoima. They simply need to bring home a result that puts the championship beyond the reach of their closest challengers.
But telling a rally driver to settle for fourth place is sometimes like telling a hungry mechanic to stop eating after one plate of food. The temptation to push harder is always there! For Alwi, the biggest challenge will be balancing his natural speed with the responsibility of protecting his championship advantage. He has already demonstrated that he has the pace to win rallies, but Hoima could demand something equally important: patience, discipline and a cool head.
Meanwhile, the seventh round of the KCB National Rally Championship was officially launched on Thursday, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting weekend of rally action in Hoima. The event comes at a particularly interesting moment in the championship, with Alwi enjoying a healthy advantage and the rest of the competitors knowing that the title battle could be decided before the season reaches its final destination.
Now, the assignment is clear. The mechanics may already be dreaming of a peaceful weekend after the rally, the service crew may be preparing their best championship smiles, and the supporters could be rehearsing their celebrations. But first, the Ford Fiesta Proto must survive Hoima!
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