NYS helping in Safari Rally preps
A National Youth Service grader being used to repair a road washed away by rains at the Wildlife Research and Training Institute in Naivasha on June 5, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The NYS personnel have also graded all link roads within the WRTI for the rally.
- The works have been done even as they pay attention to the surrounding fragile ecosystem teeming with wildlife within the institution.
The government has deployed National Youth Service (NYS) personnel and heavy machinery to upgrade sections of the Safari Rally route roads washed away by the recent heavy rains in Naivasha and Gilgil.
One of the most vital sections, the 1.6km escape route linking the WRC Safari Rally Service Park and Moi South Road, to ease movement of rally cars, service crew and management, has been undergoing grading and is almost complete and ready for use.
This murram road passing through a steep valley was constructed last year to avoid disrupting traffic within Naivasha’s CBD, a situation which spilled traffic from the main roads to western and Mount Kenya areas.
The WRC Safari Rally Service Park Manager Joel Muchiri was Tuesday inspecting storm water trenches and a treated timbers bridge over a deep rain water collector gorge cutting the WRTI (Worldlife Research and Training Institute) lower grounds in halves.
Graders have passed through the bridge several times to test its structural strength while running repairs of the road, said Muchiri.
The NYS personnel have also graded all link roads within the WRTI for the rally.
The works have been done even as they pay attention to the surrounding fragile ecosystem teeming with wildlife within the institution.
“This road will transport rally cars,crews and rally officials to Moi South Road on rally week. The stretch proved a vital and convenient artery last year," said Muchiri.
“We are also giving manual tasks to locals from Naivasha some of whom will also be part of marshalling volunteers where necessary, and training starts on Wednesday,” said Muchiri, a former rally driver, now a planning official. He underwent training for this purpose at WRC Spain in 2021.
“Everything at the Service Park, and is getting on smoothly. I will start marking and allocating bays for all participating teams from next week for occupation from June 15,” he added.
