Things are no longer peaceful at the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally Secretariat.
With exactly two weeks to go until the start of the event, Salim Mvurya, the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, has made changes to the secretariat, replacing Chief Executive Officer Charles Gacheru.
Mvurya revealed that a new strategic partnership had been secured with the private sector to run the WRC Safari Rally, but he failed to disclose the identity of the new partners.
On Friday, the ministry will convene a meeting with the private sector to unveil the new team that will organise the world’s toughest event, which has faced numerous challenges even before Mvurya’s changes.
Hamza Anwar, navigated by Adnan Din, compete in their Ford Fiesta in the Kasarani Super special stage during the 2024 WRC Safari Rally on March 28, 2024.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
The private sector will take the lead in coordinating and executing the event, and a new administrative framework has been put in place to align with the partnership model.
“The CEO and other officers serving in the WRC Safari Rally Project Secretariat, as well as those with ongoing contractual engagements, will be reassigned to the ministry until the end of their contracts,” said Mvurya.
This year’s WRC Safari Rally, scheduled from March 12 to 15, will take place in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
Mvurya described this as a breakthrough, stating that it marks a significant step towards the full commercialisation of sports and sporting assets, as well as increased private-sector involvement in Kenya’s sports ecosystem.
“While this landmark partnership ushers in a new era for motorsport in Kenya, it will also ease the government’s annual financial burden of hosting the WRC event,” said Mvurya.
He explained that this would free up substantial resources, which could then be invested in developing and strengthening other sports across the country.
Hamza Anwar navigated by Adnan Din blasts through a puddle in a Ford Fiesta during the Kasarani Super Special Stage of the 2023 WRC Safari Rally on June 22, 2023.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group
He revealed that he had already settled the promoter’s fee for the event, ensuring a smooth transition and uninterrupted preparations.
The CS reassured Kenyans, stakeholders, partners and motorsport fans that preparations for the 2026 WRC Safari Rally have been finalised and that the country is ready to host another thrilling global motorsport event.
As with the 2024 and 2025 editions, the organisers promised to spend less than Sh1 billion on this year’s WRC Safari Rally.
However, there were concerns towards the end of last year when the government and the Safari Rally had not yet settled bills totalling over Sh1 billion for the WRC Promoter fee, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) licence fee, the Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) licence fee, and so on.
WRC Promoter, who was owed Sh 500m in arrears from a fee of Sh 720m, wrote to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Principal Secretary, Elijah Mwangi expressing their concern on July 7, last year.
There are concerns that roadworks that are usually done by the National Youth Services in Camp Moran, Hell’s Gate, Lodia and Kengen Geothermal have not been done with roads having been washed away.
Defending champion Elfyn Evans from Britain and world champion Frenchman Sebastian Ogier headline the star-studded Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (WRT) for this year’s WRC Safari Rally.
Carl Tundo navigated by Tim Jessop on a Skoda Fabia compete in Kedong stage on March 29, 2024 during the WRC Safari Rally.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation
Evans, the current championship leader, who is fresh from winning the Rally Sweden over Valentine’s Day weekend, and Ogier, the 2021 and 2023 WRC Safari Rally champion, return to the WRC toughest rally, hoping to give Toyota yet another victory.
Swede Oliver Solberg, who won the opening leg WRC Rallye Monte Carlo in January, twice Safari Rally podium finisher Takamoto Katsuta and rising Finnish star Sami Pajari will be at the core of Gazoo Racing WRT.
Evans and Solberg are currently petched at the WRC standings with 60 and 47 points respectively. Solberg, co-driven by Elliott Edmondson, cruised to victory in Monte Carlo, beating Evans navigated by Scott Martins to second place but Evans turned the tables to triumph in Sweden where Solberg settled for fourth place.
Evans’ victory at the icy Swedish terrains was a significant milestone for Toyota as it became the first manufacturer since Citroën in 2010 to claim back-to-back podium lockouts in the WRC.
