Kenyan ladies chase glory in Saudi Rally
From left: Joan Apondi, Assistant Rally Headquarters WRC Safari Rally, Joan Nesbit -Competitor Relations Officer WRC Safari Rally, and Hellen Shiri WRC Safari Rally Project Event Secretary during Nation Media Group Motor Expo held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on June 03, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Rally Jameel is the first women’s-only off-road navigation rally designed to test navigational competency using a digital road book on a tablet, skills, and endurance of the drivers
- Shiri was the first Kenyan to compete in an international rally during the 2013 Africa Championship Pearl of Africa Rally
- Mionki is looking forward to testing her co-driving skills using a new technology that is yet to be used in Kenya
Kenyan duo of Hellen Shiri and Tuta Mionki were among 100 women rally drivers from 36 countries, who Monday lined up for the third edition of the Rally Jameel in the deserts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Rally Jameel is the first women’s-only off-road navigation rally designed to test navigational competency using a digital road book on a tablet, skills, and endurance of the drivers.
Saudi Arabia only made it legal for women to drive in 2018, making this rally a celebration of gender equality and a testament to the strides made by Kenyan women in motorsports.
Under the theme “She Shifts the World”, the rally will conclude on Friday, March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day, underscoring Saudi women's pivotal role in shaping the future of motorsports, in harmony with Saudi Vision 2030.
The 1,600km rally will pass through Saudi Arabia’s most picturesque cities of Ha’il, AlUla, Umluj, Yanbu, and King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Rabigh, showcasing the country’s diverse and vibrant tapestry to the world.
To celebrate the abolishment of the rule barring women from driving, Aseel Al-Hamad, a representative for Saudi Arabia at FIA Women in Motorsport, and a member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, drove a Lotus E20 Formula 1 car at the French Grand Prix.
Shiri was the first Kenyan to compete in an international rally during the 2013 Africa Championship Pearl of Africa Rally. She serves as a member of the Federation Internationale De'i Automobile (FIA) Women in Motorsport (WIM) Commission.
She was voted the 2018 FIA Event Secretary and served in the same capacity in the WRC Safari Rally between 2017 to 2023. Tuta, a seasoned navigator, is best remembered for co-driving Eric Benji to fifth spot in the 2018 Africa Rally Championship in a Subaru Impreza.
Tuta, who started her motorsport career in the Rally Raid (Cross Country), has successfully navigated top drivers in Kenya and won four national championships, as well as being named the 2018 Kenya Motorsport Personality of the Year.
"This is the closest we can do to get a feel of the Dakar Rally," said Shiri on Monday ahead of the five-day marathon under sweltering heat while driving a Toyota Fortuner off-road.
The ladies will navigate through a predefined route in the beautiful deserts of Saudi Arabia using normal off-road cars through hidden waypoints to collect points and the team that accumulates the most points wins the rally.
"This is a new horizon, and we hope to return home with the victor's trophy," added Shiri, who thanked her friends and family for their generous support in taking them to Saudi Arabia where they hope to open new horizons.
Mionki is looking forward to testing her co-driving skills using a new technology that is yet to be used in Kenya.
