NRC leaders:

1. Davite Giancalro (Rwa) 25 pts 2. Roshanali Mohamed (Bur) 18 3. Claude Gakwaya (Rwa) 15

Organising the two-day Rally des Mille Collines will cost an estimated Rwf50m. Unity Kigali Club, the organisers of the event, set for Friday and Saturday, have said.

"We have a good budget to work with. The good thing we have good sponsors, so we are expecting everything to be fine,” the head of Unity Kigali Club, Gilbert Rugomwa, said.

Rugomwa added that he expects the rally to greatly improve the standards of local rally drivers.

The event is the last on the National Rally Championship (NRC) calendar.

Seventeen crews from Uganda, host Rwanda and Burundi have entered this year’s event.

Rugomwa also confirmed that Rwanda’s top drivers including the 2013 national champion Davite Giancarlo, Elefterios Mitraros, Claude Gakwaya as well as Unit Rally Team’s Johnny Murengezi and Ange Francois Cyatangabo will not compete in this year’s Rally des Mille Collines for different reasons.

Meanwhile, Burundian Valery Bukera, who won last year’s National Rally Championship, will not feature in the event due to the political problems in Burundi—he is currently staying in Belgium.

This year’s rally will mark the first anniversary for Christophe Dusquene, Claude Kwizera’s co-driver, who died in a fatal accident during last year’s event. The rally was cancelled hence handing the NRC title to Bukera, who was neck to neck with Kwizera.

Effective this year, the organisers have staked US$10,000 (about 7.5m) for the winner of the Rally des Mille Collines for the next three editions.

Day 1 on Friday will have three sections from Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata to Rilima, and will cover a total distance of 168.22km.

Day 2 will go through Nyagihunika, Kamabuye and Rilima with sections 3, 4 and 5 scheduled to go through these areas and will cover a total distance of 271.06km.

Fans will have one view point in Nyamata, 4 km from the main road and will be able to watch the cars six times.

Entries:

1. Jean Claude Gakwaya & Claude Mugabo –Subaru Impreza (Gakwaya Rally Team)2. Genese Semana & Jacques Semana Hakizimana – Peugeot 205 (Genese Team)3. Felekeni Mayaka & Fabrice Yoto – Peugeot (Mayaka Team)

Burundi

4. Kalula Sultan & Massoud Fahad –Subaru Impreza (Spidernet Team)5. Karmali Arif & Remera K Regis –Subaru Impreza (Alif Team)6. Roshanali Mohamed Abbas & Ali Hassan Abdul –Subaru Impreza (Momo Rally Team)7. Mutore Thierry & Karorero Jean Paul – Subaru Impreza8. Remezo Christian & Niyomugarura Felix –Toyota Celica (Burundi Trophy Motorsport club)9. Nadir Zafar & Amer Aslam –Peugeot

Uganda

10. Kabega Musa & Sirwomu Roger –Mitsubishi Evolution VI (KG Racing)11. Kayizzi Godfrey & Mulindwa Uarban –Subaru Impreza (Deira Team)12. Nsamba Geoffrey & Mugambwa Anthony –Mitsubishi Evolution VI (KG Racing)13. Pole Pole Wilbert & Mbogo Bashir –Mitsubishi Evolution VI (Kajala Rally Team)14. Busuulwa Fred &TBA –Toyota Runx15. Waligo Ismail & SSebina Muhamad –Toyota Vitz (Waligo Rally Team)16. Tim & Kibuka Mildred –Toyota Corolla (Tim Rally Team)17. Mwananteba Zamin & Maceri Dias –Toyota Celica (Zamin)

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