After joining the MOIL Rally team in 2016, Katumba competed in his first rally with Nasser in the Mountains of the Moon Rally in Fort Portal, finishing in 14th place. Despite this, Katumba departs the team having helped Nasser lead him to two national titles and the verge of an African crown.
Yasin Nasser, a two-time champion of the Uganda National Rally, has announced his decision to part ways with longtime co-driver Ali Katumba.
With the end of the rally calendar approaching, the team claims that this was a “sad decision” made just before a critical moment.
The team released a statement claiming that Katumba’s personal obligations have prevented the two from continuing.
A statement said, “We regret to inform you that, due to personal obligations, we will not be collaborating with our longtime co-driver Ali Katumba for the upcoming events.”
“The amount that Ali has contributed to the team’s growth and success cannot be adequately expressed in words!”
The statement went on, “We have shared many smiles and happy times together along with sharing the occasional downs too!”
Katumba won two national titles (2019 and 2023), helped Nasser quiet sceptics, and left the MOIL Rally Team on the brink of history. His contributions to the team have been immense.
With two rallies remaining, the MOIL Rally team has already secured the Ugandan championship and is still in the running for two more.
With two events remaining, they lead both the Tanzania National Rally Championship and the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) standings.
If Nasser successfully completes the two championships, he will become the first person to win three titles in one year and only the second driver from Uganda to win an African crown.
The final Ugandan to win the ARC was the late Moses Muhangi, in 1999, which was 24 years ago.
The team expressed their gratitude to Ali for all of their shared successes, good times, smiles, and team memories.”You will always have a place with MOIL Rally Team! We thank you once more and wish you the very best.
The message went on, “In the interim, the new team member shall be announced in due course.”
One of the most elegant, knowledgeable, and well-prepared co-drivers is Katumba. Since 2012, he has only participated in 14 rallies that he has not finished.
After joining the MOIL Rally team in 2016, Katumba competed in his first rally under Nasser at the Mountains of the Moon Rally in Fort Portal, where he placed 14th.
In the cockpit, the two would become closer and more understanding, and at the CMC Challenge Rally in Mukono, they would eventually take home their maiden podium.
They would place second in the Pearl of Africa Rally and third at Fort Portal, marking two more podiums.
It would confirm their first National Championship together, therefore their first win together would provide them double happiness.
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 hampered Nasser and Katumba’s momentum; nonetheless, two more podium finishes in the Africa Rally Championship would come in 2021.
In both the Sarago Zambia International Rally and the Rally of Tanzania, the crew placed third overall.
They also achieved a significant milestone at the conclusion of the 2021 season when they won Rally South Africa, earning their first triumph in the ARC.
Although they were unable to win the African title, their ARC 2 victory made them the first Ugandan crew to win a championship on the continent since 1999.
In 2022, Zambian Leroy Gomes defeated Nasser and Katumba in their attempt to win the ARC title; nevertheless, Jas Mangat defeated them to win the ARC 2 title that year.
However, a shift that occurred at the close of the year with the acquisition of the Ford Fiesta Rally2 served as the impetus for a very dominant season in 2023.
The crew’s success at the Champions Sprint, where it made its debut in December 2022, set the wheels in motion for a string of victories.
In nine rallies that they have participated in, Nasser and Katumba have finished on the podium in all but two of them.
Seven of those have been absolute wins in the African rally championship, Tanzanian, Ugandan, and Rwandan rallies; their run was cut short last month by a problematic performance at the Rwandan Mountain Gorilla Rally.