The sixth round of the National Rally Championship will honor the late businessman and motorsport driver Rajiv Ruparelia with a memorial event in Gulu from October 9 to 12.
Organised by the Central Motor Club, the rally will feature several stages named after Ruparelia, who served as the club’s Board of Trustees chair before his death on May 3. Rajiv, 34, died in a crash at the Busabala Flyover in Wakiso District while driving his Nissan GTR. His passing stunned both Uganda’s business and motorsport circles.
Kampala paid tribute days later with a citywide procession, a symbolic drift rally along Jinja Road, and final cremation rites at the Hindu Crematorium in Lugogo.
Ruparelia’s impact on the sport was significant. A graduate of South Africa’s Rallystar Academy, he began rallying in 2019 and quickly rose through the ranks, capturing wins such as the 2021 Kabalega Rally in a Volkswagen Polo Proto under his Ruparelia Rally Team.
Though he stepped away from competition in 2022, he remained a driving force in promoting the sport and supporting community projects.
To reflect that legacy, organisers say the Gulu event will include a corporate social responsibility drive alongside the racing action.
Championship leader Ponsiano Lwakataka heads into the round with momentum, promising an emotional and fiercely contested weekend as drivers and fans celebrate Ruparelia’s life.
