President Ruto enjoys, first hand, thrills of Safari Rally
President William Ruto flags off cars for the WRC Safari Rally Shakedown in Naivasha on June 21, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Accompanied by Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Sport Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, Ruto was at home mingling with the entire rallying crew.
- Careful not to run late, the President exhibited his athletic skills rushing back to the chopper to catch a flight to Loldia for the rally shakedown where he was to later enjoy the thrills of a fast drive on a five-kilometre shakedown stage, a warm day for the 2023 WRC event.
A jovial President William Ruto bedecked in rally gear was at the Naivasha Service Park - the heartbeat of the World Rally Championship Safari Rally – on Wednesday where he freely interacted with rally drivers and principals as this year’s contest shifted to top gear.
Attired in a black competitor’s gear, he resembled a rally driver, and it was almost hard to pick him out from the seasoned motorsport cruisers and navigators who were also dressed up for the occasion.
The team Principals took time to explain to the attentive Head of State the nitty gritty of rallying, as the President nodded his head in agreement.
From one team to another, President Ruto, heavily guarded by his security personnel, had a tete-a-tete moment with nearly all the crew members who were at ease engaging with the Kenyan Head of State.
President William Ruto is ushered into one the WRC Safari Rally cars in Naivasha on June 21, 2023.
At some point, the President gave an assurance: “The event is going nowhere…. I know where it has come from,” pacifying the heart of the doubters.
He said Kenyan was safe and welcoming the international crew and their drivers to savour the country’s heritage as they engage in the revered competition.
But the President was apprehensive about the “rallying effects” on the Kenyans, saying some of them might miss out on their places of work to catch up with the thrills and spills of the motorsport event.
“I’m not sure some ardent rally fans will report to work… they might miss out and either catch the action live or follow it on TV,” he jokingly quipped.
The President took the crew members down memory lane, rekindling the nostalgic East African Safari Rally and latter-day Safari Rally to the foreign crew.
“Back at my native village we used to wake up at around 3:00am and station ourselves at a sharp bend where the rally cars swerved dangerously… it was fun,” he recalled of his childhood days.
Accompanied by Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Sport Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, Ruto was at home mingling with the entire rallying crew.
Careful not to run late, the President exhibited his athletic skills rushing back to the chopper to catch a flight to Loldia for the rally shakedown where he was to later enjoy the thrills of a fast drive on a five-kilometre shakedown stage, a warm day for the 2023 WRC event.
With a conducive weather, President Ruto and other rally fanatics will be treated to a precursor as the rally proper gets into shape, awakening Naivasha that has enjoyed the rally goodies since the return of the event into the country.
