Final push to ready WRC Safari Rally facilities

Joe Okudo.

Sports Principal Secretary Joe Okudo (centre) with Sports Kenya Chairman Fred Muteti (left) and WRC Safari Rally Steering Committee member Jas Rai inspect the WRC Safari Rally Service Park in Naivasha on June 18, 2021.

Photo credit: Macharia Mwangi | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • High-level government team happy with progress
  • At hand to take the team through the tour was the Safari Rally chief executive officer Phineas Kimathi who made certain that the delegation was well briefed on the progress of the works.

A high-powered government delegation on Friday inspected the ongoing works at Naivasha’s Word Rally Championship Safari Rally Service Park, confident that preparations for next week’s competition will be ready in time.

Led by the Sports Principal Secretary Joe Okudo and senior members of the Presidential Delivery Unit, the team was meticulous in their inspection works, touring all the key areas including the magnificent presidential pavilion that is nearing completion, having been built from scratch.

Joe Okudo.

From right to left: WRC Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi, WRC Safari Rally Steering Committee member Jas Rai, Presidential Delivery Unit official Andrew Wakahiu and Chairmania Events managing director Charles Kanyi during an inspection of the WRC Safari Rally Service Park in Naivasha on June 18, 2021.

Photo credit: Macharia Mwangi | Nation Media Group

The team expressed satisfaction with the work done in readiness of the rally slated for June 24 to 27 as crews started trickling into Naivasha.

At hand to take the team through the tour was the Safari Rally chief executive officer Phineas Kimathi who made certain that the delegation was well briefed on the progress of the works.

Security was also top notch with Commissioner of Police Julius Kabiru and his team monitoring and mapping out all the key areas that will be highly secured.

In a side interview, Service Park Manager Anthony Gatei, who was constantly on his walkie-talkie barely breathing, said most of the key areas were almost 95 percent complete.

“We are not facing any major hiccup with all contracted contractors going through the motions with diligence,” he added.

Some of the notable work being undertaken included the fencing of the High Density Area (HDA) a place that is a reserve for VVIPs during the motorsport event.

Gatei, while giving a blow-to-blow happening, gave a thumbs up to the ongoing works, adding that foreign teams had already jetted in ahead of the much awaited rallying event.

“Containers have arrived and all the necessary setting up is going on with the rains experienced in the past few days slightly slowing down the works,” he added.

Some of the teams that were setting up included Toyota, Hyundai and Ford, with the crews going through their works in clockwise precision.

Gatei was optimistic that all the works will be completed by Sunday with the rally expected to take place just days later.

Also nearing completion under the keen eye of Media Center Manager Fondo Nzovu was the ultra modern media axis.

“Everything is going according to the script and we are optimistic of a state-of-the-art media centre,” said Nzovu.

Naivasha enjoyed a piece of the cake with some of the vehicle owners hiring out their vehicles at impressive figures.

“After months of slumped business, my tour vehicle was finally hired for the Safari Rally event,” said a trader, Kimani Waraga.

Many other traders are also enjoying similar largesse with the hospitality industry also reaping big from the motorsport event.