Tribute to Abdul Sidi, legendary journalist and masterful navigator

I have known Abdul for more than 20 years, ever since I stepped onto The Standard’s Sports Desk as a young editor in 2006. From the first weekend of motorsports, he became my mentor and my friend. 

Abdul was a true titan, a legendary journalist, a masterful navigator, and a media guru who poured more than four decades of his life into motorsports. Working alongside him over the years was a huge honour.

Abdul was a man of true honesty and boundless wisdom. When it came to rallying, go-karting, and motocross, he was a walking encyclopedia of Kenyan motorsport.

As a sports editor, I was constantly in awe of him. Every ounce of knowledge I possess today about our motorsport history, I proudly drank from Abdul’s cup of tea.

Kenya’s finest navigators

Alongside his brother Anwar, he championed and elevated local motorsport, drowning his soul into nurturing the next generation through grassroots pathways like Karting Slalom and affordable cross-car racing. He always protected the future of the sport.

In the cockpit, he was easily one of Kenya’s finest navigators. He braved the grueling Safari Rally 18 times, successfully crossing the finish line 15 times, a monumental feat of endurance and skill. He guided legendary drivers like Patrick Njiru, Phineas Kimathi, Sammy Aslam, and Azar Anwar, stamping his own story into the history of the Safari Rally’s golden era.

Yet, his light shone just as brightly outside the car. For over three decades, he brought the dust and the drama of the tracks to life in the pages of the Daily Nation. Writing under the iconic pseudonym “Twin Cam”, he kept his identity a secret at the peak of his career. 

He did this with characteristic humility and professionalism, ensuring his voice as a rigorous journalist remained uncompromised by his active life inside the rally cars.

Sidi's enduring legacy

Abdul leaves behind a void that can never be filled, but also a legacy that will never fade. He lived the race and taught the rest of us how to love it. We shall miss him more than words can express. 

Abdul has crossed his final finish line, and the whole world is poorer for it. But the race he ran? It was beautiful. It was legendary. It was his race. And we will never, ever forget it.

Now, the sky feels a little darker without him in it. The Sports Desk will never sound the same. The rally routes will never feel the same. Even the words come slower now.

Rest well, my teacher and friend.

Buluku is former Sports Editor, Daily Nation. [email protected]