Safari Rally’s future in world series hanging in the balance
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki flags off Oliver Solberg and his navigator Elliott Edmondson for Toyota Gazoo Racing team during the WRC Safari Rally at Naivasha on March 12, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Chief Executive Officer of the WRC Safari Rally Project, Carl Tundo, has moved quickly to dispel fears of Kenya missing out.
- Safari Rally had reportedly accumulated over Sh602 million in arrears for the 2025 edition and a Sh720 million fee for 2026.
The future of Kenya’s Safari Rally on the World Rally Championship Series will be decided between now and September 15, the strict deadline Kenya has been given to meet stringent conditions and financial guarantees set by the WRC Promoter and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
According to reports from renowned motorsport outlet Dirtfish, the deadlock over Kenya’s long-term financial structure remains the sole obstacle delaying the official announcement of the 2027 World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar, sparking intense speculation over Africa’s crown jewel event.
Highlighting the urgency, FIA road sport director Emilia Abel confirmed the governing body’s support but emphasised that the sport cannot wait indefinitely for Kenya.
“We want to see Kenya on the calendar,” Abel told DirtFish.
“It is a historic and classic event for the WRC, and an important rally particularly from the region’s perspective. Our focus now is on delivering from the (Kenyan) ASN side.”
Echoing the time crunch, WRC Promoter’s Chief Organising Officer Julien Vial added that they need to finalise the schedule very soon, saying: “We need clarity and certainty around the funding of every event.”
Newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the WRC Safari Rally Project, Carl 'Flash' Tundo, has moved quickly to dispel fears of Kenya missing out.
“Negotiations are ongoing, and things are promising,” Tundo stated categorically, reassuring fans that the government has been at the forefront of talks for a long-term contract to replace the original five-year agreement signed in 2021 by the government.
Tundo, who took over from Charles Gacheru in June to hasten these high-stakes negotiations, immediately had to navigate a changing global landscape. O
n July 31, 2026, French automotive technology giant Cosmobilis Group and private investment firm Park Square Capital officially acquired the commercial rights to the WRC from Red Bull and KW25 in what the FIA termed the “biggest deal in the history” of the series.
As a result, Kenya is negotiating with a brand-new entity that carries no traditional burden to previous management.
Toyota Gazoo racing's Takamoto Katsuta co-driven by Irish navigator Aaron Johnston in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid at Kedong in Naivasha during day-two of WRC Safari Rally.
Despite President William Ruto’s earlier announcement that the Safari Rally will shift to a private-sector model, Tundo clarified that the State has explicitly not abandoned the event.
“Far from it, the Safari remains our event. It is the state which will sign the Event Promotion Agreement and is paying the necessary fees including arrears,” Tundo said.
“But the burden of running the event like managing the secretariat, paying salaries, and other operational costs will be borne by a private sector Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).”
To provide a clean slate for Tundo and prospective private investors, the government has taken the massive initiative to clear outstanding license fee arrears.
The Safari Rally had reportedly accumulated over Sh602 million in arrears for the 2025 edition and a Sh720 million fee for 2026.
By stepping in to clear these heavy obligations, the state is providing a critical financial bridge, giving organisers the breathing room needed to lock down long-term backing from corporate titans like KCB Bank and CFAO Motors.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya held high-level consultative engagement with the WRC Promoter GmbH Senior Director of Events Simon Larkin met with Sports Cabinet in company of his Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, and Tundo to secure the event’s immediate calendar outlook and long-term sustainability last July.
Larkin collaborated closely with the ministry to design a commercially viable, forward-looking framework as the private sector prepares to assume a leading role in the event’s organisation.
The CS explained that the strategic structural shift is intentionally designed to reduce the state’s direct financial burden while optimising the country’s hosting rights.
While Kenya systematically clears its structural hurdles, the broader WRC landscape has been plunged into immediate disruption. Dirtfish reports that the upcoming Rally Saudi Arabia season finale in Jeddah is in serious jeopardy.
Factory manufacturing giants Toyota and Hyundai have issued a joint letter to the FIA declaring that internal corporate travel bans prevent their teams from traveling to the Middle East due to heightened regional tensions.
The potential absence of the sport’s multi-million dollars desert centerpiece has triggered immediate movement in the West. A long line of historic European events has already queued up including Portugal, ready to act as late calendar replacements should the Saudi finale face cancellation.
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