Political goodwill key in elevating top performers like Wambui to greater heights

After a lengthy VAR check, William Samoei Ruto’s goal stands and the game is over, with the Kenya Kwanza coalition winning the hotly-contested match in stoppage time.

Monday’s eagerly-awaited decision by the VAR panel of referees at Milimani – headed by Chief Justice Martha Koome - has far-reaching, positive ramifications that will certainly play up in the sports space sooner rather than later.

It’s no secret that Kenyan sport relies heavily on political goodwill, and that many sports administrators will be eagerly awaiting to see our fifth President lift of the coveted trophy at his inauguration next week.

One of the greatest beneficiaries of political goodwill has been motorsport, and the Safari Rally in particular.

Certainly, one of the biggest legacy projects that outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has bequeathed on Kenyan sport is his spirited and successful efforts to see the Safari Rally’s return to the World Rally Championships after a 19-year hiatus, and assuring the International Automobile Federation (FIA) of the Kenyan government’s financial commitment until, at least, 2026.

The importance of government support for sport cannot be gainsaid, and recent developments in the FIA calendar circles attest to this.

A bid by South Africa to host a round of the Formula One championship, for instance, seems to have come a cropper owing largely to inadequate financial guarantees, with the FIA, instead, opting to keep the Belgian Grand Prix on the 2023 calendar rather than launch the proposed South African round at the Kyalami circuit.

Similarly, the United Kingdom will not host a round of an expanded World Rally Championship in 2023 because local organisers have failed to secure requisite government support and funding, despite Great Britain being a key WRC and FIA market.

Therefore, that Kenya managed to secure a long-term government guarantee for the Safari Rally to remain on the global calendar shouldn’t be taken for granted.

This week, McRae Kimathi competes in the Acropolis Rally in Greece, his final 2022 WRC round under the Junior World Rally Championship programme that has seen young drivers benefit from the WRC’s Rally Star programme aimed at nurturing young drivers.

Kimathi’s success story wouldn’t have been possible had Kenya not bounced back into the WRC programme that has seen several other individuals also stamp their authority on the global motorsports space.

Among them is Magdalene Wambui Kiiru, the Assistant Secretary of Stewards at the WRC Safari Rally.

Wambui started off as a rookie volunteer from the Abdul Sidi Rally Academy and competed as a navigator on the local Kenya National Rally Championship circuit before focusing on management of the sport.

Along with WRC Safari Rally Event Secretary Hellen Shiri Kagendo, named Secretary of the Year by the FIA in 2019, Administrative Secretary Ruth Muthui and Competitor Relations Officer Joan Nesbitt, inter alia, Wambui has done pretty well among women in the sporting side of motorsport.

Just recently, she justified her meteoric growth in sports management by being picked among 24 out of about 400 women who had applied globally for the FIA Women Officials’ Exchange Programme to understudy experienced administrators at various motorsport assignments.

Wambui, 35, has been shortlisted for this year’s Formula One Singapore Grand Prix on October 2, certainly another accolade for the gender-friendly sporting team at the WRC Safari Rally.

The invitation by the FIA’s Women in Motorports programme is aimed at having inclusivity and involvement of women in mainstream motorsports officiating and management.

The 24 women picked will be assigned track side or medical duties at various global competitions with Wambui’s assignment in Singapore certainly a show of confidence for Kenya’s sports management acumen.

“Singapore is one of the strictest Grand Prix races and also the most coveted Grand Prix to attend, especially it being a night race. I shall give it my all and make my country Kenya proud as a volunteer for this prestigious event,” Wambui said in accepting her nomination.

Wambui has also been the Secretary of Stewards of the African Rally Championship for both the Kenya and Rwanda rounds for the past five years, adding to her rich resume.

We hope that both the Kenya Motorsport Federation and WRC Safari Rally – both headed by the indefatigable former rally ace Phineas Kimathi - will offer Wambui the requisite support to allow her travel to Singapore and open the door for more women to take up active roles in global motorsport management.

This will not only benefit the individuals, but also develop management acumen among Kenyan women officials which will, in turn, ensure Kenya remains a leading global rally organiser.

And following yesterday’s Supreme Court judgment, we must waste no time in aligning the incoming government with the high demands that the FIA places on organising nations, and underscoring the importance of government support for the WRC Safari Rally programme.

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My deepest condolences to the FIA World Rally Championship team following the sad demise of Mark Wilford who died on September 1 after battling cancer.

Until his death - with his wife and daughters at his side - Mark was the WRC’s Public Relations and Communications Manager and was instrumental in whipping the WRC Safari Rally’s media operations into place.

May his family and the WRC be comforted, and may Mark’s soul rest in eternal peace.

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