The dust has barely settled following the third round World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally series, which was held in Naivasha over the weekend. Cases of spiking of drinks leading to loss of cash and property have emerged.
The annual three-day rally event, part of the prestigious 2026 edition of the iconic motorsport event, attracted thousands of fans from across the country and beyond.
Hotels, campsites and entertainment joints around Naivasha were packed to capacity as revelers sought to enjoy the race action during the day and nightlife that followed each evening.
For several revelers who thronged the lakeside town for the global motorsport spectacle, the memories they carried home were not just of roaring engines and thrilling speed.
Amid the excitement and celebration, several individuals later reported that they had been drugged by unknown people before losing large sums of money, mobile phones and other personal belongings.
In the lively environment filled with music, alcohol and excitement, many said they did not notice when they were targeted.
Instead, some are counting heavy financial losses after falling victim to drugging incidents by culprits commonly known as 'mchele babes', where unsuspecting victims are drugged and robbed of their valuables.
Some of the victims said the incidents occurred in entertainment spots around the rally venues where crowds gathered to celebrate long after the day’s rally stages had ended.
One victim who told us of his ordeal on condition of anonymity, said he lost Sh 80,000 cash that he had carried for entertainment in the weekend event.
Narrating the sequence of events before the blackout, the victim said that he had entered a popular drinking spot with two of his friends whom he had traveled with to Naivasha to enjoy the rally.
“Next to us were two ladies who were deep in conversation and seemed uninterested in what we were doing. Little did we know that they were just playing it safe so that we could not notice their motive,” he recalled.
He said that they continued to enjoy their drinks as the night wore on, but could not resist a jig when the club’s disc jockey(DJ) played their favorite tune, taking to the dance floor.
The victim only recalled waking up hours later in a confused state, only to realize that everything valuable he had was gone.
“All I know is that I woke up the next day with a terrible headache and nothing in my pockets. I had gone there to enjoy the rally, but I left with nothing,” He said.
He revealed, “My phone, wallet and all the cash I had were gone. They must have spiked our drink when we took to the dance floor,”
Similar experiences were shared by other revelers who reported that they only realized they had been drugged long after the incidents occurred.
A woman who attended one of the entertainment joints near the rally venues on Saturday said she began feeling unusually dizzy after accepting a drink from someone she had just met.
She added that the incident left her shaken and forced her to cut short her stay in Naivasha, returning home to nurse herself and recover from the loss of valuables and cash.
“I suddenly felt very sleepy and weak. When I woke up hours later, my handbag had been emptied and my phone was missing. I had to borrow a phone and call my friends, who came and picked me up. That was not an experience I had gone for in Naivasha,” she said
When they spoke to the Nation on Monday, they had not reported the incidents to the police, saying they would be a laughing stock.
Naivasha Sub-County Police Commander Wilson Sigei said no official reports had been filed with the police regarding complaints related to drugging during the rally weekend.
Mr Sigei urged members of the public who believe they may have been victims of crime to report the matter to the nearest police station so that investigations can be launched.
“We have not received any report of such an incident so far, so it would be difficult to speculate. But such incidents do occur during such events,” he said.
During the rally weekend, traffic along the Nakuru–Naivasha highway and surrounding roads remained heavy, with thousands of vehicles ferrying spectators between rally stages, hotels, campsites, and nightlife venues.
Some motorists, however, took to the road after consuming alcohol, leading to multiple accidents that left several people injured and vehicles damaged.
“There was a major traffic snarl up as spectators thronged different spectators’ stages; luckily, we had deployed enough officers to control traffic. There were accidents, especially involving motorcycles,” Mr Sigei said.
Local businesses in Naivasha experienced a major economic boost from the influx of rally fans who were ready to spend their money.
Hotels, restaurants, and bars reported high occupancy and increased sales during the three-day event as visitors spent heavily on accommodation, food, and entertainment.
The crime, commonly referred to as “mchele” in Kenya, has become increasingly common in nightlife settings, particularly in crowded clubs and entertainment areas where monitoring drinks becomes difficult.
