Joey Ghose: The class act behind rise of East African Classic Rally

Beaming with confidence that the 11th edition, which is rain-soaked will overcome elements of nature brought by the El Nino, Ghose has rekindled the fortunes of the event, started in 2003 by veteran Safari Rally driver Mike Kirkland to sustain rallying interests following the removal of the Safari Rally from the World Rally Championship in 2002.

"We have produced a President, we have the best athletes and now we have the East Africa Safari Classic Rally," he beamed during a chat at Ole Sereni Hotel during the official launch of this year's Classic Rally last month.

"We honoured our achievements by curtain-raising this year's Classic Safari by including the Mini Classic itinerary in Eldoret where we also have the best rally roads in Kenya but we did not include the area in our itinerary in this year's Classic because of costs."

He said they are exploring ways of making the Classic more affordable but it is unfortunate that the event could not go to Tanzania and Eldoret/Kabarnet areas.

"However, going forward for the next event we are hoping to start the rally in Nairobi and then go right up to other areas and come back, and then go back to the Coast so that Kenyans can see the cars in action," he added speaking of the future as he also intimated that the Mini Classic Safari held annually will also be a curtain raiser of the Classic to sustain interest.

A father of two, Ghose is very protective of his family and prefers to talk more on his plans because people have their different destinies. But he loves to see young people in Kenya grow that is why he has invested heavily in his former secondary school, Harambee Secondary, and an ordinary public school known as Bishop Bellamy where he has built incubation blocks and visits every time his busy schedule allows as well as hanging out with his former school mates.

Two of them, Solomon Mwangi and Jonah Chemweno recalled that Ghose has always been a very friendly person. They are so much related to doing all the small things boys in the 70s did and will always have time to reminisce.

"Ghose has always been the same guy Jonah and I knew," said Mwangi after their reunion during an informal get-together before this year's Eldoret round of the national championship. 

"I am very proud of Eldoret and my childhood friends that is why I would like to see more local participation of Kenyans and people from there in the Classic. We have to start from the bottom of the pyramid to attract local participation with the help of the Kenyan federation by introducing a standard production class for the Kenya National Rally Championship next year," said Ghose. 

Ghose is not your average businessman. He is astute and well-versed with international business with interest in mining hobnobbing with the best. He is always sharply dressed in well-cut business suits shuttling between Nairobi, London, New York and the Middle East for business but casually blends into the crowd in motoring circles at home like for the next 10 days when he will be watching not far from the theatre of operation in the East African Safari Classic Rally where he serves as the franchise chairman and owner.

He has left the CEO Jeet Ghose and a group of seasoned motorsport administrators and managers to cobble up yet another well-organised event which was over-subscribed forcing them to limit the number to 63 to avoid logistical challenges.

Besides securing international and local sponsors led by Next Seekers, a full-service luxury residential and commercial brokerage firm based in New York and having offices in nine US locations, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, the Classic is a true reflection of Kenya, reflected Ghose.

As a commercial enterprise, Ghose said these companies like Next Seekers with a gross revenue of US$1.5 billion (Sh225 billion) is the portfolio Kenya needs in the form of foreign investment the Classic is capable of bringing into the country in future.

But in the short term, the Classic will inject over Sh240 million directly into the Kenyan economy and support local communities along the rally route.

His other pride is the high number of Kenyans in competition and diversity of foreigners, citing Czech Republic celebrity singer Olga Lounová, singer-songwriter, actress, model and rally driver.

With a net worth over  US$5 million (Sh750 million), Lounová is just one of the millionaires who will be competing in the Classic for the fun of it. Ghose said their combined net worth is over US$100 billion (Sh15 trillion) and should be viewed as influencers and business people he is willing to tap into for investment in Kenya. 

"They can't find the adventure we offer in Kenya when it comes to fun. We should really be proud of ourselves," he said.

The Classic will bring down the curtains of the 2023 motorsport calendar in Kenya in front of a global audience watching from a privileged but demanding position of the Chairman of the organising team.

Ghose feels really proud of the Classic, a race he desires to fully replicate the picture of what the Safari used to be  between 1953 to 1973 when it used to traverse through some of the remotest parts of East Africa for five days and nights.

"Relaxing rules and encouraging many young Kenyans to compete and drive the event well past Vision 2030 is the way to go," said Ghose as one way of reliving his past growing up in Eldoret. 

"There are many places we would he like to see the Classic thrive like visiting the tough, demanding and beautiful areas of Western Kenya like the Cherangani Hills, Kerio Valley and Tugen Hills where many drivers including the best and well supported met their waterloo even in later days of  WRC Safari Rally Kenya."

Ghose, an astute businessman, philanthropist and generally a global citizen with operations in Kenya, Middle East, London and New York trades well cut business suits for wide-brimmed farm caps and khaki trousers for even tougher outdoor business like in the next 10 days during the East Africa Safari Classic Rally, a 4,000km marathon longer than the road trip from Nairobi to Cape Town.

Competitors will for the next nine days, when the East Africa Safari Rally Classic zooms off from Vipingo Ridge, be tested to the extreme through road conditions which have been affected by the current rains.

"Firstly the weather is very unpredictable. It's been raining really, really heavily. So it's gonna be a tough event for everyone," he said.

"It may not be as long as it (Safari) used to be but that doesn't mean it's not going to be even tougher than it has been in the last 10 editions. My only regret is that it will not be going home," he added in reference to his hometown of Eldoret.

"I was born in Eldoret in Western Kenya and that time in the 60s and 70s Western Kenya was very undeveloped, even roads in towns were murram roads. I started rallying at the age of nine. That time I had good friends like David Morgan who was a rally organiser, and his daughter Linda Morgan, who was about my age and we started playing with cars.

"Those days the Safari was 6,000km long. You didn't see a car every two minutes after the top drivers had passed. So you waited for maybe two hours and it was an experience being rained on watching those beautiful cars tackle difficult conditions."

Ghose and locals easily accessed the most competitive sections, including the famous Fluorspar Hill Climb with its 21 hairpin bends in 21km, Cherangani Hills, Baringo rough and dry sections.

"I started off, first driving in rallies when I was 15 years old in a training before I got my driving license and when I came through that is when I discovered that maybe I should try and do better and then things started picking up. We started doing the national championship and you know all my mates like Ian and Patrick all started around that time with very simple cars like Datsun 1200 pickups which we used to drive in rallies on weekends and went to work with from Mondays."

Ghose teamed up with several drivers and in his most memorable event finished eighth overall navigating Sammy Aslam in 1994 WRC Safari Rally in a VW Golf GTi  before he disappeared from the rally scene.

"Shortly after that I left the country to go and develop my business overseas so you know I haven't had that long career of rallying in Kenya but I do have other experiences like I've learned in the UAE so that's why I returned and purchased the Classic from the Vohra family," said Ghose.

"We should introduce prizes for winning those championships and maybe allow modifications, enabling younger people of all genders to be able to afford to rally, and then bring them up the feeder system into the main event. That way, we are going to build a bigger pool of drivers and navigators to compete in the Classic because we have the right buttons to press to make the event attractive to many local and other drivers across the world," he said.

"Promoting rallying is very simple because while rally drivers are fierce competitors on the roads, they are also very friendly amongst themselves.

"Most important is that we have the human resources of friendship. We fight all day for one second but in the evening we all sit together and have a drink and beer and talk about the rally and when cars break down we stop to help each other.

Though an international citizen, Ghose is also gradually relocating back home.

"We do lithium mining and we also make some cement so we are investing in Kenya to build our economy."