Fearless Manduli lit the way for Kenyan female rally drivers

The death of Orie Rogo Manduli has robbed the rallying fraternity in Kenya of a great competitor and the first indigenous female driver to take part in the iconic Safari Rally.

The fashion icon, politician, fiery women’s rights crusader and businesswomen died at her Riverside home in Nairobi on Wednesday aged 73.  

Manduli competed in the 1974 and 1975 Safari Rally when the event was toughest in the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar.

Navigated by the late Sylvia Omino, Manduli also competed in the 1974 and 1975 East African Safari Rally.

Ann Teith, who made her Safari Rally debut in 1970 in a Datsun 1600 sss, said Manduli entered Kenya's premier motorsport event when the rally was very rough.

“Manduli was such a friendly lady whom I met in the 1974 Safari Rally. She was a determined lady at a time the Safari Rally was a long, wet and tough event for even male competitors. But she gave it her all,” Teith, the former Lady Gay-sponsored driver told Nation Sport.

Teith added: “As female drivers, it was difficult to get sponsors and driving in wet conditions was not that easy. But I commend Manduli for her effort. It is so sad that she is no longer with us and we will not meet her again. She was a flamboyant lady.’’

Manduli was once quoted as saying: “The Safari was hectic, it was beautiful, and the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was the driver, I am always the driver. It’s just that I’m always the driver in any situation. We did not finish but managed two legs.”

"I was angry that we were hosting the Safari Rally annually and the few women who were participating were all foreigners. I wanted to prove that Kenyan women, too, could participate in car racing. I do not like to be put in a box or to be stereotyped,” she added.

WRC Safari Rally Chief Executive Officer Phineas Kimathi said that he was saddened by the death of a very friendly and motorsport associated lady.

“We are so sad to lose a lady of Manduli’s caliber. She set the standard for female drivers in the Safari Rally, though sadly she didn’t finish any. Her death coincides with another rally veteran Zully Remtulla who passed away on Sunday. It us sad to lose two great rally drivers within a short period,’’ Kimathi said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta also mourned Manduli. He said Kenyans will forever cherish her achievement as the first African woman Safari Rally driver.

“Mama Orie Rogo Manduli was a fashion icon whose trademark African print attire and prominent head gear made her one of Africa's most recognisable personalities,”  he said.

Several local female rally drivers have followed in Manduli’s footsteps. They include Stella Macharia and Joan Nisbett.

Manduli was crowned Miss Kenya at 16 while still in secondary school. She trained as a teacher from the Machakos Teachers Training College but never taught.