Hassan Alwi Jr will carry a commanding championship advantage into Gulu when the Rajiv Ruparelia Memorial Rally runs from October 8-10.
The Central Motor Club-organised event is listed as Round six of the 2026 KCB National Rally Championship and arrives during the business end of the campaign.
Alwi leads the drivers’ championship with 236 points, holding a sizeable advantage following the opening four rounds.
Jonas Kansiime is his closest challenger with 141 points, while Moses Lumala sits just a point behind in third on 140.
Duncan Mubiru occupies fourth with 129 points, leaving only 12 points separating Kansiime, Lumala and Mubiru in the battle behind Alwi.
Umar Dauda completes the top five with 107.5 points, followed by Godfrey Aine on 102.5 and Haruna Kataza on 102.
Walter Kibande has 100 points, Mansur Lubega 92, while Julius Ssemambo completes the championship’s top 10 with 79.5.
Alwi’s 95-point advantage over Kansiime underlines the strength of a campaign built around victories and consistent scoring.
He won the season-opening Mbale Rally before strengthening his championship position with another victory during Round 3 in Masaka.
Alwi and navigator Musa Nsubuga won in Masaka in 1:10:22.97, ahead of Kansiime and Mubiru.
The victory was Alwi’s second from the opening three championship rounds and moved him to 177 points.
He carried that advantage into the Soroti-Katakwi Rally in July, where more than 35 crews were expected for Round four.
The latest FMU standings after that round have Alwi on 236 points, giving his challengers considerable ground to recover.
However, the fight immediately behind him remains tight, adding another championship dimension to the Gulu weekend.
Beyond the title contest, the event will continue to celebrate the life and motorsport contribution of Rajiv Ruparelia.
Ruparelia, who chaired Central Motor Club, died aged 35 in a road crash along the Kajjansi-Munyonyo Road on May 3, 2025.
Gulu hosted the memorial rally in 2025, when the event also formed Round six of the National Rally Championship.