For 24 years, he never missed the start ramp. Not once.
That incredible run ended in Gulu.
Four-time National Champion Ronald Ssebuguzi (2006, 2009, 2014, 2025) was a no-show at the Rajiv Ruparelia Memorial Gulu Rally, the first time he has missed a competitive event since joining rallying in 2001.
So why?
The car was no longer his to use.
Ssebuguzi’s championship-winning Ford Fiesta Proto had found a new owner. Last month, Rora Media reported that the car had been sold to Sonde-based driver Abdu Kateete — a story that many in the fraternity questioned at the time.
According to sources, Kateete had just paid USD 20,000 as part payment for the car, but had not cleared the full amount.
Ssebuguzi, who had already entered the Gulu rally, wanted to use the same car for one last event. The new owner reportedly asked for USD 2,000 to hire the car back to him for the weekend.
A deal was not reached. Without a car, Ssebuguzi who built his legendary consistency around Butikkiro could not start.
From 2001 to 2025, through mechanical failures, financial strain and title battles, Ssebuguzi always made it to the start.
In Gulu 2026, for the first time in 24 years, he didn’t.
