National rally champion, Ponsiano Lwakataka has moved closer to his return to competitive motorsport after the Ruparelia Group of Companies contributed Shs25 million towards his bid to acquire a new rally car.
The contribution leaves Lwakataka with Shs195 million to raise towards the Shs220 million purchase price of the Volkswagen Proto formerly driven by the late rally star Rajiv Ruparelia.
Lwakataka, one of Uganda’s most experienced rally drivers, is seeking to make a return to the national championship with machinery capable of matching the increasingly competitive Proto cars now dominating the sport.
The Volkswagen Proto has a special connection to Lwakataka, having previously been driven by Rajiv, who made a name for himself in Ugandan motorsport before his death. Rajiv was among the drivers who helped popularise the Volkswagen Proto in Uganda and regularly competed against Lwakataka at the highest level.
Lwakataka’s pursuit of the car also comes as he marks 25 years in motorsport, giving his planned comeback both a sporting and personal significance.
To raise the remaining funds, the veteran driver is preparing a fundraising sprint at Garuga on September 20, where he intends to showcase the car and rally fans are expected to join efforts to support his return.
Speaking after receiving the Shs25 million contribution, Lwakataka expressed appreciation to the Ruparelia Group and urged motorsport enthusiasts to turn up for the Garuga event.
“I am really happy and I want to assure our fans that the day of the unveiling of the rally car will be special. I call upon all rally fans to come to Garuga and see our car,” Lwakataka said.
The Garuga event will also provide an opportunity for Lwakataka to celebrate a quarter of a century in motorsport. As part of the celebrations, he plans to sell a commemorative magazine documenting his journey in rallying.
The magazine will cost Shs10,000 at the entrance to the event, with proceeds expected to contribute to his comeback campaign.
Lwakataka has been away from regular competitive rallying but remains determined to return to the national championship with a car that can give him a realistic chance of competing for top honours.
His decision to pursue Rajiv’s Volkswagen Proto follows an earlier effort to upgrade his machinery. In 2025, Lwakataka was still competing in his Subaru Impreza N12B, a car that was already significantly older than some of the modern Proto and R5 machines on the national circuit. Despite the disadvantage, he won four of seven national rally events before retirements affected his title challenge.
The veteran driver has previously described the need for better machinery as crucial if he is to compete on equal terms with the newer cars.
The Volkswagen Proto he is targeting was closely associated with Rajiv, who entered Uganda’s motorsport scene in 2019 and quickly established himself as a competitive driver. He won the Kayunga Autocross in his Volkswagen Proto during his early months in the sport and later recorded strong performances in national rallies.
Rajiv’s Volkswagen was also among the cars that helped raise the profile of Proto machinery in Uganda. During the 2022 Kaliro Sugar Rally, for example, he and co driver Enoch Olinga used the Volkswagen Proto to lead the opening day, with Lwakataka finishing third in his Subaru.
For Lwakataka, however, the new car is not simply about owning a more modern machine. He believes its design and handling will address some of the problems that affected his previous car.
He has nicknamed his new machine “Rabbit”, contrasting it with his previous car, which he called “Snake”.
“The car we have been driving was long and was named Snake. Now the name has changed. This is Rabbit, and I believe it is going to change everything,” he said.
Lwakataka said the handling characteristics of his previous car sometimes made it difficult to maintain consistency because the front and rear sections could behave unpredictably during competition.
“With this one, I believe Rabbit will jump in the same direction,” he said.
The Shs25 million from the Ruparelia Group therefore represents an important first step in Lwakataka’s fundraising campaign, cutting the amount required for the Volkswagen Proto to Shs195 million.
After completing the fundraising drive, Lwakataka will return to the national rally scene in a car that puts him back among Uganda’s leading drivers while giving Rajiv Ruparelia’s former machine a new chapter in the country’s motorsport history.
