Who Will Claim the 2025 NRC Crown?
We are well past the halfway mark of the 2025 Uganda National Rally Championship, with five of seven rounds already complete and what a rollercoaster it has been! In a twist that has left fans both astonished and delighted, Ponsiano Lwakataka, who has won four of the five events so far, is still not the NRC leader. Instead, consistency king Ronald Sebuguzi holds the top spot, despite not winning a single round.
Lwakataka started the season in dazzling fashion, clinching victories in the opening rounds of Mbarara and Masaka. A major setback struck at the Pearl of Africa Rally, where an engine failure forced him out early, but he returned with a vengeance, winning the Bugerere Stabex EMC Rally and, for the first time, finishing strong at the UMC Fort Portal Tourism City Rally. Ponsiano now lurks just six points behind Sebuguzi, setting up a nail-biting finish for the remaining rounds in Gulu and Hoima.
Sebuguzi, last year’s runner-up, has been the embodiment of reliability this season. Finishing all five rounds so far, he started with two 2nd-place finishes in Mbarara and Masaka, then slipped to 7th at the Pearl of Africa Rally before bouncing back with 3rd in Bugerere and 2nd in Fort Portal. His steady accumulation of points has him perched at the top with 241 points.
In third place, rookie sensation Musa Ssegaabwe has made a remarkable debut in the NRC after being promoted from the CRC class. With podium finishes including a strong performance at the Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Rally, Ssegaabwe trails Sebuguzi by just 33.5 points, keeping him firmly in contention for the championship crown. Other notable performances include Aine Sodo in 4th, Duncan Mubiru hampered by a DNF at Fort Portal in 5th, and Michael Mukula steadily recovering from early-season setbacks to lie in 6th.
The 2WD battle is equally thrilling. Mansoor Lubega leads by a single point over Julius Semambo, making every stage a potential decider. Lubega has impressed since upgrading to a Toyota Corolla, winning Fort Portal after a minor setback in Kayunga. Semambo, familiar with his Toyota Sprinter, continues to improve with every rally. Hajji Amir Kavuma remains steady, while Edward Kirumira and last year’s 2WD champion Ibrahim Lubega face challenges that have left them trailing in 4th and 5th, respectively.
In the CRC class, Walter Kibande continues to dominate with three wins out of five rounds, his partnership with Duncan Katumba proving formidable. Ahmed Kateete is keeping pressure high, narrowly ahead of young Kevin Bebeto, who has managed one win but remains determined to shake up the standings. Robert Sentongo (Nkima) has struggled with multiple setbacks, while Odeon Tumwebaze steadily adapts to his Toyota Alteza, hinting at a potential upgrade soon.
As the championship heads into its penultimate round in Gulu, the title races in each class remain wide open. The top crews are not backing down, promising fans two more rounds of unpredictable, adrenaline-fueled action.
