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The Safari Rally competition which will be held in the Naivasha area of Nakuru County from today to Sunday this week will see 39 drivers participating.
President William Ruto has officially launched this year’s edition of the safari rally car competition at a ceremony held at the KICC here in Nairobi.
A total of 37 registered vehicles headed to Kasarani for the first competition stop between 7:00 and 8:00, before heading to Naivasha.
This 72nd edition of the Safari Rally will cover a distance of 1,403.63 kilometers, including 384.86 through different locations in Nakuru, Nairobi, and Kiambu counties to compete for points.
This year’s edition is the longest since the return of the touring car rally competition to the WRC calendar in 2021.
The rally includes new stages such as a 12.36km downhill section through vineyards, and Camp Moran, a 32.2km endurance stage designed to test the abilities of the world’s best rally drivers.
Speaking at the launch of the race, President Ruto stressed his administration’s commitment to supporting motorsports, while expressing a desire to reduce the financial burden on the government regarding this event.
He noted that the costs of organizing the rally decreased from 2.1 billion shillings in 2023 to 980 million shillings this year, due to greater operational efficiency and greater participation of the private sector.
“I look forward to a time when this event will cost the government zero, with the private sector taking full ownership. They need advertising, awareness, and we are ready to provide space for that,” said President Ruto.
To promote young talent in motorsports, the Kenyan government has pledged to support the FIA’s affordable cars project, which aims to develop the talents of young drivers.
This project also includes the provision of free vehicle design drawings to encourage local vehicle manufacturing.
President Ruto also welcomed the implementation of the FIA Helmet Wearing Scheme, run in Kenya by the Automobile Owners Association of Kenya (AAK), which provides life-saving helmets to boda-boda riders as part of the National Road Safety Plan 2024-2028.
The list of participants was announced on Friday last week and includes drivers from Kenya, England, Finland, Belgium, Estonia, Japan, France, Ireland, Greece, Sweden, Paraguay, Poland, Spain, Argentina, India, Tanzania and Uganda.
World champions Sebastien Ogier from France (in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021), Kalle Rovanpera from Finland (2022 and 2023), Ott Tanak from Estonia (2019) and Belgian Thierry Neuville (2024) are also on the list.
