Safari Rally brings world home
The World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally that local fans have waited for almost two decades will be held in Naivasha this week. The rally will begin on Wednesday with the shakedown at Ndulele Conservancy in Naivasha, followed by reconnaissance of the route on Thursday.
The main event revs off with Friday’s ceremonial start at Kenyatta International Convention Centre. Of the 59 crews in the 19 competitive stages, 29 are from Kenya.
The Safari Rally was readmitted to the WRC after seven years of intense negotiation led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed and Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) President Phineas Kimathi.
With the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the global sports calendar last year and for most of this year, it has taken meticulous planning by the organisers to get everything ready for the event. The pandemic forced organisers to postpone the Safari Rally from the initial date of July 16-19 last year.
Kenya is bound to benefit immensely as the world focuses on it with millions of people following the event live virtually. With an estimated global TV audience of 825 million and 15 billion online impressions, the event will help to market Kenya as a top tourist destination.
The country will also reap big from sports tourism as volunteers, spectators, technical officials and support teams being deployed on the ground.
We commend Kimathi and his team for ensuring that the event is no longer a dream but reality. The team has burnt the midnight oil to ensure Kenyans again enjoy an event that was synonymous with the Easter holidays in years gone by. We also wish all the crews the best of luck as they deliver the best that our country has to offer in terms of sports and tourism.
