Rwanda rally fraternity has commended the bravery of the Uganda’s rally driver Riyaz Kurji and his contribution to the sport, particularly in the region.

Kurji died in a high speed accident during the KCB Pearl of Africa rally on Saturday in Uganda.

Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) president Dismus Kayibanda said yesterday that Kurji’s death is a loss to the region and Africa at large.

"We have missed a generous, skilled, brilliant and professional sportsman. Kurji has been supportive to us (RAC).

"We have lost an icon in motorsport and on behalf of Rwanda Automobile Club and local rally fraternity, I pass our condolences to his family,” Kayibanda said.

According to Kayibanda, Kurji funded twice the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally in 2005 and 2006 and besides that, he even sponsored fellow Ugandan drivers Ronald Ssebuguzi, Moses Lumala, Bob Roberts, Amin Lalani and Bux Kasamali (RIP) under the Alpha Rally team to participate in the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally in 2005.

Kurji navigated by Sayed Kadri went on to win the 2005 and 2006 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla in affectionate Subaru Impreza.

Kurji was an international businessman owning Alpha Group of companies with Uganda Fish Packers as the lead enterprise.
He was born in Mombasa and later lived in Dublin, Ireland. He came to Uganda in 1991 and established Uganda Fish Packers.

Besides winning many Kenyan rallies, he also competed in Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Kurji was declared the winner of the KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally 2009 to become the first posthumous winner of a round of the African Rally Championship (ARC). His co-driver Sayed Kadri survived the deadly accident.

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