Big plans for Safari Rally legacy project
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed speaks during the closing ceremony of the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally Staff Conference at Pride Inn Flamingo Beach Resort in Mombasa on October 24, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Amina said she was deeply honoured to join the global motor sport family as a member of the World Motor Sport Council.
- “I am sincerely proud of the journey we have travelled thus far, and look forward to staging the most iconic rally in the history of the WRC,” she said, adding that it signifies Kenya’s intention to feature on the global motoring world more boldly and with firmer presence.
The Sports Ministry intends to plant 19 million trees over the next three years to commemorate the 19 years that the Safari Rally was out of the World Rally Championship (WRC) circuit.
Sports CS Amina Mohammed said it will be part of the Safari Rally legacy project which she said was anchored on environmental conservation and road safety education themes.
Speaking at the close of a four-day WRC Safari Rally headquarters staff team building retreat at Flamingo by pride Inn Hotel in Mombasa on Saturday, Amina said the ministry aims at planting at least 1.9 million trees this year alone.
Safari Rally was scheduled to return to the WRC series from July 16-19 for the first time since 2002, but it was postponed due to coronavirus pandemic. It will now be held from June 23 to 25.
“This project will target parts of our wetlands affected by deforestation, traditional Safari Rally and Kenya Motor Sports Federation routes, the service park and the spectator stage at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani,” Amina said, adding that the project will be a multi-agency operation between the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya Forestry Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Save Our Rivers Initiative.
The CS said her ministry was working with professionals to come up with a road safety programme to further embed the values of safe motoring for the benefit of all. Amina, who was recently elected to the World Motor Sport Council, will attend body’s annual meeting on October 28.
“FIA’s operational priority is action for road safety. In this regard, we have enjoined the Kenya Automobile Association, an affiliate of FIA charged with handling mobility, to work under the theme of road safety,” she said.
She reminded participants that the Safari Rally was a legacy project for the Presidency and asked the WRC Safari Rally team to make Kenya’s 19-year wait worth the while.
Amina said she was deeply honoured to join the global motor sport family as a member of the World Motor Sport Council.
“I am sincerely proud of the journey we have travelled thus far, and look forward to staging the most iconic rally in the history of the WRC,” she said, adding that it signifies Kenya’s intention to feature on the global motoring world more boldly and with firmer presence.
