The Great Lakes Rally in Burundi was successfully hosted by Uganda in 1997, and this motivated the country to stage its own African Rally Championship event. This is how the Pearl of Africa Rally got its start. Throughout the event's history, exceptional drivers have emerged and made a lasting impression on Uganda's rallying scene. In Ugandan motorsport history, legendary drivers like Sospeter Munyegera, Shekhar Mehta, Emmanuel Katto, Satwant Singh, Charlie Lubega, Moses Lumala, and Chipper Adams have left their mark and served as an inspiration to succeeding generations of rally enthusiasts.