Hamza Anwar: Kenya’s big hope at 2025 Safari Rally

Hamza Anwar will be at the vanguard of Kenya’s challenge in this year’s WRC Safari in the Rally Two category, driving a Ford Fiesta R5.

At 26 years old he is a world-class driver with an impressive CV that includes the rare distinction of being nominated as the “Third Most Improved Junior Driver” in the world in 2023 in his second year of elite competition in Europe, Africa and Kenya.

Fans across the world unanimously voted for him after his impressive performance in the 2023 FIA Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) series in Sweden, Estonia, Croatia, Sardinia and Greece.

He showed good pace to finish that season eighth overall.

Fans loved his attitude: “Go out in a big way. But at least you go hard, or you go home.”

This is how he will approach the Safari now that he has graduated from the less powerful Ford Fiesta Rally Three to Rally Two Ford Fiesta.

He aims to better the seventh position Kenya’s Onkar Rai finished in 2021 Safari.

Anwar has a tight programme in the 2025 Safari Rally, Africa and selected World Rally Championship rallies.

He caused upsets, in the 2021-2024 period under review, set new standards in the world and impressed Ugandan and Tanzania fans even more with his no-hold-barred driving skills aboard a Ford Fiesta Rally Three and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 10.

Ugandans call him “Problem Child” and Tanzanians “Toto Tundu” or a naughty boy for making men almost twice his age with decades of experience look ordinary.

'Inherited talent'

It must be in the DNA. His father, Asad Anwar was and accomplished rally driver.

Now unburdened and unshackled, young Anwar has embarked on his second phase rallying full time, and in between managing Africa Eco Motorsport, a garage dedicated to rallying cars, and also renting out rally cars. He does this jointly with his dad.

"This is my full-time hustle -- oil, grease, junk and new. Everything," he says.

"We are targeting a young all races All-Kenya Rally Team. We shall import Rally Four cars, front wheel drive cars which we will rent out for a fee to do WRC proper and score points. We are looking for a team sponsors.

“We have been renting cars out at Africa Eco Motorsport, I included in the last two years for the Talanta Women Rally Team and drivers in Classic events. We had four cars in the Jim Heather Hayes Memorial in December for myself, my dad (Golf GTi Mark II), Mike Kirkland (Datsun Violet) and Tariq Khan (Datsun 160J)."

Last year the Africa Eco Motorsport rented out cars, supplied servicing, spare parts and fuel for the Talanta Women Team of Pauline Sheghu, Jennifer Malik, Tash Tundo , Tinashe Gatimu, Kui Mungai and Lisa Chrisofferson.

“Additionally, we had a men’s team of Carl Tundo (Skoda Fabia), Andrew Muiruri (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10), Josiah Kariuki (Subaru Impreza N14), Hamza Anwar and (Ford Fiesta Rally ) and two Italians -- Francesco Garosci and Ricardo Garosci in identical EVO 10s," says Anwar.

"We achieved 90 per cent finish,” said Anwar from the new garage located in the Southern bypass near the Karen/Kikuyu, Dagoretti Ndonyo interchange.

“Teamwork and sharing of resources pays. We showed this in the Safaricom/Kenya Airways Rallystar programme.

Jeremiah Wahome became the first black African to win a national event in 25 years. Now, why not try ordinary young African drivers? There are many, and they need all of us to pool resources and form an official Kenya Rally Team.”

In the Safari, Anwar says the gap year he took in 2024 to establish Africa Eco Motorsport is worth it.

“In 2022 McRae Kimathi went to the JWRC and gave a good account of himself despite not having experience driving in snow and gravel. He also won the Africa junior title.

“In 2023 I didn’t have much time to prepare for the JWRC but in this regard, I think my performance was good enough and the results kind of showed it. I set some decent pace, and you know I did score podium stage times in a couple of the rallies. So that was unique, and it showed that we have the speed. Now what we need is consistency and a lot of competition,” says Anwar who is navigated by Adnan Din.

He retained his African junior title last year.

“We have won the Africa junior title for three years in a row. So, I think we're ready to attack in the Rally Two in a Ford Fiesta R5, bought in Europe but fine-tuned by young Kenyans at the Africa Eco Motorsport, and we are looking forward to racing in the car with Din in the Safari Rally Africa Championship and possibly WRC Finland and Saudi Arabia this year.”

Win is possible

The Safari of 2023 and 2024 and JWRC convinced Anwar that Kenyans can climb to the top of the world because they are born surrounded by cars.

“We did three fastest times and climbed to the podium in three events. In Sweden, though it was my first time in snow we did well. It was amazing. We didn't expect to have so much grip on snow. But the grip levels were quite good. This was a tricky rally because the temperatures got a little high too.

“The snow was melting, and we were driving through a lot of gravel in some of the stages and the tyres wore out. Other than that, the car was overheating towards the end and there were errors on the coding of the engine. But we finished seventh out of 14 drivers.”

“Then we went to Croatia. Funny enough it was a race of attrition, and we were keeping a very consistent pace for two days when we had a bit of a mishap, cut a corner wrongly which landed us in a tree. So, we lost a podium spot in Croatia.

This was their first tarmac event. It was very difficult though, and then they moved on to Sardinia where misfortune struck. The plunged into a pool of water at speed and the hydro locked the engine.

“Unfortunately, I was not consistent last year. I did only two events, the Safari and the Pearl of Africa.

“Safari Rally is in the card, the five rounds of the Africa Championship, Saudi Arabia and hopefully Finland. You don’t call yourself a JWRC graduate without planning to move higher and measure yourself against the class of 2023 which has graduated to Rally Two in Europe.

“Finland would be nice because it's a tough event with Saudi Arabia it is because of the nature of the desert and the landscape. The ruggedness of Saudi Arabia brings with it the Dakar rally qualities which I think would be more suitable for a Kenyan driver.

“But first is my Safari programme. We will pick the stages which we will attack and others where we will preserve the car for the jobs ahead in the Africa and WRC assignments.

“The ARC season looks a bit more friendly this year as we won't be travelling south of East Africa. We look forward to Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and hopefully Tanzania.”

Anwar has shifted garages after pooling resources and teaming up with his father.

He will face WRC2, reigning champion Oliver Solberg who headlines the category in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, while Kajetan Kajetanowicz debuts a similar car. Other notable entries include Jan Solans, Gus Greensmith, and FIA Junior WRC regular Diego Domínguez, who all begin their WRC2 campaigns here. Paraguay’s Fau Zaldivar is another name to watch, while local stars include Karan Patel, Carl Tundo, Jasmeet Chana, Samman Vohra and Jeremiah Wahome.

Anwar will be taking part in his fifth WRC Safari Rally, a pretty impressive record having left the Rallystar Programme for drivers below aged 27 in 2023 when it was discontinued by the government.

He hopes to avoid the Super Rally (a situation where one rejoins the rally after retiring the previous day) jinx which dogged him in 2021 and 2024 and also retired completely in 2022 and 2023.

njengap@gmail.com