The “Milk and Honey City” of Mbarara has transformed into a high-octane motorsport hub as the 2026 Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally officially kicked off on Thursday.
The opening day featured a high-speed shakedown and qualifying session at Mwesigwa Resort in Kibega, setting the pace for what organisers expect to be a gruelling continental showdown.
As the second round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC), this year’s edition has attracted a strong field of 63 crews from across the region, including competitors from Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
The Thursday shakedown gave drivers an opportunity to test their cars, assess road conditions and fine-tune their machines ahead of the competitive stages scheduled to begin on Friday.
The 2026 edition has also attracted significant corporate support, with sponsors including Shell V-Power and KCB Bank Uganda boosting preparations for the event. KCB Bank recently injected Shs80 million into the rally to support its organisation and operations.
The service park remained busy throughout the day as mechanics and technical teams carried out scrutineering and final vehicle inspections.
Corporate sponsorship has enabled teams to access high-grade fuels, premium lubricants and rapid-response technical support to improve performance and reliability during the competition.
Olivia Nahwera, the Commercial and Specialties Manager at Rubis Energy Uganda, said the company’s involvement reflects confidence in the quality of its products.
“Our support this year to Chana specifically is the stretch of our reliability and performance of our fuel and oils, using Castrol H0W20 in Chana’s car,” Nahwera said.
Sponsors including KCB, Rubis Energy and Shell V-Power are directly supporting local rally stars such as Oscar Ntambi and Mike Mukula Jr as they prepare to challenge regional heavyweights including Kenya’s Karan Patel and Jesmee Chana.
“We won the national event in Kenya, we have come for the Pearl and we want to better our game. Rubis has trusted us and given the support that a lot of people have been longing for,” Kenyan rally driver Jesmee Chana said.
Local drivers are also optimistic despite the challenging terrain expected along some sections of the route.
“I am driving a Subaru Impreza. I am in a group of 20 competitors and many have better cars, but I am not afraid. We have inspected the road and some spots are horrible, but we shall manoeuvre,” Mbarara-based rally driver Mukasa Yassin said.
The rally officially moves into the competitive stages on Friday and will feature iconic routes such as the Charles Muhangi and Kaguta stages.
With more than 560 kilometres of total distance to be covered, drivers and machines are expected to face a major endurance test over the course of the rally.
As excitement builds in Mbarara, organisers say the combination of strong corporate backing, regional competition and passionate fans has positioned the 2026 Pearl of Africa Rally to deliver one of the most memorable editions in recent years.