Fresh from back-to-back victories on home soil, Duncan Mubiru, popularly known as Kikankane, is taking his rally ambitions beyond Uganda as he prepares to test himself against Tanzania’s leading drivers in Arusha.

Mubiru, navigated by Hamza Lwanga in a Ford Fiesta Proto, will compete in the Guru Nanak ASAS Rally of Tanzania set for this weekend, November 14 to 15. The rally is the last calendar event of the 2026 Tanzania National Rally Championship.

The rally is expected to attract 25 crews and will be staged in Makuyuni, Arusha Region, with defending champion Ahmed Huwel and Manveer Birdi set to battle for the national championship honours.

Mubiru heads to Tanzania in impressive form after winning the KCB UMC Rwenzori Region Rally in Kyenjojo-Kamwenge on October 31-November 1. That victory followed his triumph in Gulu a month earlier, making the Arusha outing his next major test.

The Ugandan has been invited by the ASAS Rally Team, which also features lead driver Birdi, Kenya’s Jasmeet Chana and veteran driver Ian Duncan. The line up is expected to produce an exciting contest among some of the region’s established rally drivers.

“We have been supported by ASAS to race in Arusha, why not? I am looking at a big future with the team,” Mubiru said.

For Kikankane, the invitation is more than an opportunity to compete. It is part of a broader plan to establish himself on the regional rally scene and build towards the 2027 World Rally Championship Safari Rally in Kenya.

Having previously competed in Tanzania under the Azania brand, Mubiru sees the Arusha event as another opportunity to gain experience and strengthen his regional connections. His ambitions also extend to upgrading his machinery.

The Ugandan plans to move from his current Ford Fiesta Proto to a more powerful Skoda Fabia R5 as he prepares for a bigger regional campaign in 2027.

Meanwhile, Arusha Motor Sports Club (AMSC) secretary Monica Lyimo told The Observer that preparations for the event were complete, with stage designs, route planning and other logistical arrangements finalised.

“We want to make it the most successful rally,” Lyimo said.

Mubiru’s service crew left Kampala for Tanzania on Sunday, while the driver and co-driver Lwanga flew out on Tuesday ahead of the November 14-15 rally.

The Arusha outing could, therefore, mark an important step in Kikankane’s ambition to graduate from domestic success to regular competition against East Africa’s established rally names.