Legend has it that the Safari Rally used to be the toughest leg on the World Rally Championships (WRC) circuit and on July 5, President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off the first cars participating in this year’s rally event.
The Safari Rally 2019, which will double up as the 4th round of African Rally Championship, was flagged off outside the presidential pavilion at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Commencing in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II for the then British colonies Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, the Safari Rally was part of the famed rally competition WRC until 2002. Kenya has been trying to restore its WRC status.
“Rallying has very deep roots in Kenya’s national psyche. Indeed many generations of Kenyans have been raised against the backdrop of impressive rally races crisscrossing our nation,” said President Kenyatta.
The Head of State also said that it will support the quest to regain WRC status, saying that it will ensure the event complies with every requirement of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
“We are committed to meeting all FIA regulations , standards and requirements so that Kenya may one again feature at the apex of global rallying,”
The rally, for which Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) as sponsors has injected Ksh50 million, features a grueling 796.86 kilometers over three days.
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Starting on Friday July 5, participating drivers, navigators and teams will cruise around Nairobi, Kiambu, and Nakuru counties. It will end on Sunday at the Kendong Ranch where the winners will be awarded.
This year’s competition has attracted 51 drivers including participants from Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Belgium, Zambia and Italy with most of the competitors coming from Uganda. One of the participants is Nzioka Waita, President Kenyatta’s Chief of Staff.
The competition will also witness a rivalry of international car manufactures such as Toyota, Hyundai and FORD showcasing their brands.
“The overall goal is to enable us go back to WRC competitions, which are the vertex of motor rally in the world, and remain there,” Kenya Motor Sport and Federation (KMSF) Chairman Phineas Kimathi had explained earlier.
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