NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 24- After a 19-year hiatus, the World Rally Championship(WRC) Safari Rally returned to Kenya in style.
A whole generation of Kenya’s youthful population has never witnessed the event and the lucky ones, lined up along the highway as the race cars snaked through the Capital Nairobi to Naivasha.
Some rally drivers were not so lucky as huge crowds barricaded the way, for an opportunity to have a closer look at their cars.
“I mean, the feeling is great. I’m elated to be witnessing this,” a spectator identified as Mark Mwangi and who witnessed the flagging off at KICC said.
Some were seen taking selfies while others even sat on the car bonnet.
The incidents attracted mixed reactions, with some raising concerns that they might cost Kenya’s ratings in future.
The SS1 event at Kasarani was equally disrupted by fans, with a red flag being lifted. All the cars affected by the incidents were awarded a time of 4:33:2.
Thousands of Kenyans have flocked to Naivasha, reinvigorating an ailing hotel sector that has sinve reported near full bookings
More action is expected on Friday and Saturday in Naivasha.
At least a thousand police officers have been deployed in the area, to ensure the safety and security of participants and more than 30,000 spectators.
President Uhuru Kenyatta officially flagged off the 2021 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally Kenya at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre grounds on Thursday.
The President flagged off the first ten rally cars that included three Kenyan teams comprising Carl Tundo, Hamza Anwar and Mcrae Kimathi as well as 91-year old three times European champion Sobieslaw Zasada who becomes the oldest competitor in the history of World Rally Championship.
A car driven by State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita and his co-driver Tuta Mionki was also among those flagged off at the spectacular event in which 58 teams are participating.
Speaking at the iconic sporting event, President Kenyatta commended the event organizers and all stakeholders for their diligence and hard work that ensured the resumption of the safari rally after a 19-year hiatus.
The Head of State said the Safari Rally holds a special place in the country’s history, saying the event is synonymous with the country’s growth.
“Over the years, the rally maintained its ‘rough and tough’ reputation. It ensured that we tested both our physical limits on the roads, and our innovative strengths in the development of bigger and faster machines,” President Kenyatta said.
President Kenyatta emphasized that it was because of the Safari Rally’s importance to the country’s socio-economic growth that in 2013 he gave a pledge to return the rally back to the country and to its position as one of the International Automobile Federation’s (FIA) and World Rally Championship’s (WRC) toughest rallies.
“This goal has materialized nine years later, into the spectacular event that we are all witnessing today. It has been a pleasure, interacting with the rally drivers and I look forward to witnessing their expertise on the road,” President Kenyatta said.
Earlier before flagging off the World Rally Championship Safari Rally, President Kenyatta launched the road safety initiative known as the “Safari Rally Action for Road Safety Campaign”.
-About the Event-
Thursday’s lunchtime started in the heart of capital city Nairobi, in the presence of President Uhuru Kenyatta, followed by a gentle appetiser for what is to follow.
The two-at-a-time Super Special Kasarani (4.84km), north-east of the city centre, sent competitors on the 100km journey back to the Kenya Wildlife Training Institute service park in Naivasha.
Friday’s opening leg covers the southern shore of Lake Naivasha. Chui Lodge (13.34km) and Oserian (18.87km) are both in the Oserengoni Wildlife Conservancy which is home to lions, leopards, giraffes, antelope and buffalo.
They sandwich Kedong (32.68km), the longest stage of the rally and a Safari test of old. After service, all three are repeated to bring the day’s total to 129.78km.
Roads further north around Lake Elmenteita host Saturday’s 132.08km of action, which will be the longest leg of the weekend.
It will open with Elmenteita’s (14.67km) oft-used tracks in the Delamere Estate.
It will then be followed by Soysambu (20.33km) and Sleeping Warrior (31.04km), set in the shadow of a hill that resembles a Masai warrior lying down.
The trio are driven for a second time after service.
Sunday’s finale spans the north and south sides of Lake Naivasha. Two loops of the forested Loldia (11.33km) to the north and Hell’s Gate (10.56km) to the south sandwich the rocky Malewa (9.71km).
The second pass through Hell’s Gate, which finishes amid stunning scenery at Fishers Tower, forms the Wolf Power Stage with bonus points on offer for drivers and manufacturers. The survivors return to Naivasha for the afternoon finish ceremony.
The 18 stages total 320.19km.
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