At least 28 drivers are confirmed to compete in the highly anticipated 2024 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, taking place from October 18 to 20. The annual race, which traverses the routes of Kigali and Bugesera, is a key event in the African Rally Championship (ARC).
Kenyan driver Karan Patel, the reigning champion of the 2023 edition, is expected to return with hopes of defending his title. A victory at this year’s rally could see Patel crowned the 2024 African Rally Champion, marking his second consecutive championship win.
This year’s competition will draw drivers from four African countries: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Of the 28 cars confirmed for the rally, seven belong to drivers competing in the ARC, while the remaining 21 are from national competitors, including eight Rwandans and 13 Ugandans.
Patel currently leads the African Championship standings with 105 points. Securing a win in Rwanda could confirm his title, especially with two of his main competitors, Ugandan drivers Jas Mangat (28 points) and Hamza Anwar (24 points), not participating in the Kigali race.
Patel, driving a Skoda Fabia R5, has already claimed victories in Jinja, Uganda, Zambia, and Burundi. His closest competitors in the ARC who are set to race in Rwanda include fourth-ranked Ugandan Michael Jr. Mukula (19 points), his brother Kuku Ranjit Singh (18 points), and Dr. Mukasa Moustapha (17 points).
Among the notable drivers is Tanzania’s Prince Charles Nyerere, the grandson of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, who will compete alongside his Rwandan co-pilot Fernand Rutabingwa in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.
Rwanda’s Jean Claude Gakwaya, who won the race in 2019, will also be among the participants. Gakwaya, alongside his co-driver Jean Claude Mugabo, will race in a Subaru Impreza.
The rally promises high stakes, as the winner of the African Championship round earns 35 points, with subsequent positions receiving points down to sixth place.
