With about two weeks remaining, 17 drivers have so far registered for the Africa Rally Championship KCB Mt. Gorilla Rally which is scheduled to be flagged off in Kigali on September 30.

According to Rwanda Automobile Club, the local motor rally governing body, the latest entries include defending champion James Whyte and Zimbabwe’s compatriot Conrad Rautenbach, who currently leads the ARC table standings with 93 points.

Madagascar’s duo of R. Jean Yves/R. Rila and Frederic Rakotomanga/Adam Yachine has also confirmed, adding more colour to the continental event, the seventh of eight ARC editions.

Uganda’s Ashraf Ahmed/Daniel Ayebare, Charlie Lubega, Charles Muhangi, Kenneth Ntaro, Dr Mohammed Ashraf and Ronald Sebuguuzi are also in the line-up while Jas Mangat is the only Kenyan driver registered for the event.

Local drivers registered for the leg include; Giancarlo Davite, Elefter Mitraros, Edson Mungyereza, Claude Kwizera and Fitidis Chistakis.

The 600 kilometers rally to be staged in two legs and is expected to cover Northern, Kigali and Eastern provinces

This year’s Mt. Gorilla rally counts for the FIA African rally championship for drivers, RAC national rally championship and the KCB East African challenge respectively.

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) is the official sponsors of this year’s edition after they renewed a $50,000 (about Frw29.5 million) sponsorship package early this month.

Former two-time national rally champion Rudy Cantanhede won last year's edition in one hour, 57 minutes and 7 seconds driving a Subaru Impreza N8.

Navigated by Sylvia Vindevogel in a Subaru Impreza N10, Giancarlo Davite was six seconds off the pace while African champion James Whyte from Zimbabwe followed in third place in a time of 1 hour, 57 minutes and 26 seconds.

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