The WRC Safari Rally isn’t just a race; it’s a grueling test of endurance where the terrain is designed to break man and machine.
For Ugandan debutant oscar Ntambi, the experience has been a high-stakes baptism by fire, defined by relentless mechanical challenges and the raw, unpredictable nature of the Kenyan wilderness.
The legendary Kedong stage proved to be the ultimate test for Oscar.
Speaking on the mechanical failures that threatened to end his rally, he detailed a harrowing experience with his drive shaft.
“We damaged the drive shaft in Kedong—it started moving inside the car, destroying components like the tie rod. Eventually, it just broke,” Ntambi explained in interview.
In the world of top-tier rallying, most crews would have retired on the spot. Instead, the Ugandan crew engaged in roadside “surgery,” tying the damaged components together just well enough to crawl back to the service park.
Beyond the mechanical gremlins, the weather turned against the field.
Ntambi recounted a particularly treacherous moment in the Llia stage: “It started raining halfway through, and the surface became incredibly tricky. He added.
Despite the “mayhem,” the Ugandan racer remains laser-focused on the bigger picture. His strategy is clear: consistency over raw pace.
“We are not pushing to the limit.”. The goal is to finish this rally. We just pray nothing more gets damaged, because the days are long.”
As the Ugandan crew enters the final day, they aren’t just racing for a position—they are racing to prove that Ugandan grit can conquer the toughest roads on the planet. The “Source of the Nile” may be far away, but the spirit of the Ugandan crews in Naivasha is burning brighter than ever.
