African Rally champion Karan Patel is bullish about his chances of securing a record-extending fourth victory at the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, the third leg of the 2025 African Rally Championship (ARC), which revs off on Friday.
Navigated by his long-time co-driver Tauseef Khan, Karan clinched his maiden Rwanda title in 2022 and successfully defended the crown in 2023.
Last year, the duo dominated from flag-off to finish, steering their Skoda Fabia R5 to victory in 1:37:47.7.
The duo were well ahead of Uganda’s Michael Mukula and Edward Kiyingi (1:50:21.1), with Kenya’s paraplegic ace Nikhil Sachania and his co-driver Deep Patel rounding off the podium in 1:55:36.3 behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta.
Karan’s emphatic run in Rwanda, coupled with other strong ARC performances, secured him his second continental title with a commanding 140 points, a massive margin from second-placed Michael Mukula from Uganda, who had 47.
His maiden ARC crown came in 2023, when he edged Uganda’s Jas Mangat (141) and three-time champion Yasin Nasser (110) to claim the title with 144 points.
However, Karan’s 2025 title defence got off to a rocky start.
At the Safari Rally in March, which doubled as the ARC opener and WRC’s third round, engine woes at the Camp Moran stage on Day Two forced him into early retirement.
Karan, however, bounced back with a dominant victory in May at the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally in Mbarara, clocking 1:51:28.9.
Nasser finished second in 2:04:21.6, while Sachania secured another podium in 2:07:48.4.
Heading into the Rwanda leg, Karan sits sixth in the ARC standings with 35 points.
Nasser leads the charge with 63 points, followed by Sachania and Carl “Flash” Tundo tied at 50.
Kenyan Jeremiah Wahome sits fourth with 42.
Despite the gap, the KCB Bank-backed driver remains unfazed and bullish about his chances in Rwanda.
“We are the defending champions of the African Rally Championship. The first two rounds could have been better, but we have a point to prove in Rwanda," Karan stated.
He is banking on familiarity with the Rwandan terrain to mount a serious comeback.
"The terrain has always favoured us. We are more than ready to fly the KCB and Kenyan flags high at the event, which will be graced by top African rally drivers,” he added.
KCB Bank has entered a strong four-driver line-up for the Mountain Gorilla Rally.
Others are Sachania, Uganda’s Mukula and Rwanda’s celebrated female rally star Queen Kalimpinya.
The quartet received a Sh4 million sponsorship boost from BPR Bank ahead of the rally.
This year’s Mountain Gorilla Rally has attracted 35 competitors, all set to battle it out across a gruelling 386-kilometre course.
Action begins at the Kigali Convention Centre before heading to Bugesera for two punishing loops across the dusty, twisty roads of Gako and Nemba.
KCB Group Director of Marketing and Communications Rosalind Gichuru reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to growing the sport.
“Our continued support for motorsport across the region is a testament to our commitment to nurturing talent, promoting diversity and elevating the sport to greater heights."
"The Rwanda leg presents another exciting opportunity for our drivers to showcase their skill and resilience on the continental stage.”
