Picture:  Tutu Maina flying his KTM bike

August sunshine heralds prospects for close fought motocross racing when Ugandans host Kenyans and Tanzanians in the second round of the FIM Central Africa Motocross Championship in Kampala.

The highlight of the second round will be the tussle for the title in the MX 1 class which is led by high flying Shivam Vinayak of Kenya against the Ugandan trio of Asaf Natan, Arthur Blick Jnr. and Maxime Van Pee.

The determination of the children contesting the MX 50 and MX 65 classes always produces close fought action. Uganda has remained dominant in the lower classes which to their Captain Blick is the only way to tame Kenyans in future.

Quite rightly so, the first round of the regional series at Jamhuri Park racetrack on July 23 saw Kenyans win the overall team title, over and above, clinching all but one individual class races.

The race was in aid of the Jubilee Ride to sponsor children who cannot afford school fees (bursary fund) where officials intend to raise funds for children through motocross.

The initiative looks to raise over KSh 15 million to 50 needy students through high school under the Jubilee sponsorship program, a social justice initiative of the Nairobi Chapel.

The trip will be flagged off on December 12 during the Jamhuri Day celebrations covering 10,000kms of tarmac, gravel, rocky terrain through six border crossings in four different nations of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt).

Spectators who turned up at Jamhuri Park were treated to some exhilarating displays of riding artistry.

Ugandans fielded a lean team of 24 riders and could only managed one category win courtesy of the diminutive Walid Omar who rode his KTM bike to victory in MX50 followed by compatriot Ben Nsumba as Tai Wahome saved Kenyans the blushes when he sealed the podium dash.

Kenyans won the first round with cumulative 1632 points while Ugandans garnered 736 points which was not a very good start by any standards.

Ethan Nyachae of Kenya rode with precision in MX65 before vanquishing his adversaries with a flawless points score of 60. Ugandans Paddy Blick and Fortune Ssentamu rode to wrapped up the podium dash, thus helping their country scoop further championship points.

Elias Sherman did Kenyans proud in MX85. He vanquished Ugandan duo of Ali Omar and Allestair Blick to second and third.

Rohan Gandhi led Samir Anwar and Masalule Kituyi "Massa" to an exhilarating clean sweep for Kenya in MX125.

"It’s really exciting that we have taken all podium positions at stake in MX125 and dominated the senior races," said Gandhi.

Apollo Mbuki of Kenya was imperious on jumps and corners. His Honda 250cc four-stroke contraption was in tip top condition and no eyebrows were raised when he eclipsed compatriot Ivan Guya and Ahmed Tamale of Uganda to the scintillating podium rivalry.

Tamale tried hard but couldn't cope with the blistering pace of the flying Kenyans.

After the race Ugandan captain Arthur Blick Jnr (son of the legendary Ugandan rider Arthur Blick) conceded defeat and admitted candidly that Ugandans struggled as a result of not fielded their full strength team.      

"We are concentrating more on juniors because we keep losing our seniors when they proceed abroad for University education," said Blick who has since returned to rallying cars after a decade's lull.

Ugandans rode minus Arthur, Natan who is in Israel on a business tour and Van Pee who had exams in the United Kingdom.  Tanzania fielded two riders in MX1 namely J. Hamilton and D. Miya.  

FIM CENTRAL AFRICA MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP OVERALL RESULTS:

MX50

1. Walid Omar (UG) 53

2. Ben Nsumba (UG) 50

3. Tai Wahome (KEN)48

4. Dekker Kihara (KEN) 44

5. Dylan Mutahi (KEN) 40

6. A Farouq (UG) 36

7. A. Musyoka (KEN) 35

8. Habib Kuggundu 30

9. J. Nkurunzinza (UG)27

10. G. Tafaria (KEN) 24

MX65

1. E. Nyachae (Ken) 60

2. Paddy Blick (UG) 46

3. Fortune Ssentamu (UG) 45

4. Maina Wanjigi (KEN) 41

5. Wazir A. Omar  (UG) 39  

6. Callum Hayes (KEN) 38

7. Jessy Waithaka (KEN)37

8. Ryan Bailey (KEN) 30

9. K. Kiplagat (KEN) 27

10. Christian Chege (KEN) 21

11. Alex Moi (KEN) 20

12. Mwai Githinji (KEN) 19

13. S. Nasereka (UG) 17

14. S. Kabuubi (UG) 9

MX85

1. Elias Sherman (KEN) 57

2. A. Omar (UG) 49

3. Allestair Blick (UG)  44

4. Rolf Kihara (KEN) 43

5.  N. Waweru (KEN) 39

6. Githuku Mungai (KEN) 37

7. O. Malungu (KEN) 32

8. Elonga Malungu (KEN) 26

9. Mohammed Anwar (KEN) 25

10. Sukhdev Rathod (KEN) 21

11. Jeremy Waithaka (KEN) 17

12. R. Smit (KEN) 13

13. M. Wahome (KEN) 13

14. A. Musyoka (KEN) 9

MX125

1. Rohan Gandhi (Ken) 60

2. Samir Anwar (KEN) 49

3.  Masalule Kituyi (KEN) 46

4. Ted Wanday (KEN) 43

5. Fatu Kiggundu (UG) 39

6. K. Darr (KEN) 36

7. S. Darr (KEN) 33

8. S. Svenson (KEN) 30  

MX2

1. Apollo Mbuki (KEN) 60

2. Ivan Guya (KEN) 57

3. Ahmed Tamale (UG) 43

4. Samir Sherman (KEN) 42

5. L. Ssemakula (UG) 35  

MX1

1. Shivam Vinayak (KEN) 60

2. Tutu Maina (Ken) 49

3. Cruze Muigai (Ken)

4. D. L. Brown (KEN) 40

5. J. Hamilton (TZ) 37

6.  Andrew Kenneth (KEN) 31

7. Zane Young (KEN) 31

8. D.  Miya (TZ) 30