NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan rally driver Karan Patel is targeting a strong comeback at this weekend’s Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally as KCB Racing Team looks to strengthen its campaign in the 2026 Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) African Rally Championship (ARC).
The rally, scheduled for July 10–12 in Kigali, has attracted 19 crews from across the continent and is expected to play a decisive role in the battle for the continental title.
Patel heads into the event as the ARC championship leader after collecting maximum points at the Safari Rally Kenya before securing victory at the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally.
The Kenyan driver is, however, eager to make amends after last year’s campaign in Rwanda ended prematurely following a heavy crash.
“We’re off to Rwanda this week and, as always, Rwanda is a lovely place and a lovely rally to participate in. We’ve had very good runs in Rwanda except for last year when we had a big crash but we’re hoping for a comeback,” Patel said.
“We would love to win the rally and secure more points towards the Africa Championship, so that’s the aim. We’re going to go there and fight for top spot.”
Patel said the team has adopted a more measured approach this season, prioritising consistency and championship points over outright speed.
He noted that the strategy had already paid dividends during the Safari Rally and the Uganda round.
“We went into Safari Rally with the hope that we would finish. It wasn’t about going flat out from the word go. We succeeded in the mission, secured good points in Safari, did the same in Uganda and we’re hoping now to succeed in Rwanda,” he said.
Patel added that the team had continued refining its rally car to suit Rwanda’s fast gravel stages, saying each event provides valuable lessons that help improve overall performance.
KCB Racing Team will also be banking on Nikhil Sachania, who currently leads the ARC3 standings after winning his class at the Uganda Rally.
Despite enjoying a healthy lead, Sachania said the team remains focused on maintaining momentum in the remaining rounds of the championship.
“We’re lying first in ARC3 at the moment. We have a good lead, but we can’t take the pressure off. We still need to perform in Rwanda and the upcoming Tanzanian event,” Sachania said.
“We just want to maintain that lead and secure the ARC3 title for the second year.”
KCB Racing Team has entered five crews for the Rwanda round, with Patel joined by Sachania, Tinashe Gatimu, Oscar Ntambi and Rwanda’s Queen Kalimpinya.
The team will be aiming to collect maximum points across multiple categories as it strengthens its bid for continental honours with the championship entering a crucial stage.