By Dr. Mutindi Kakuti,
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 24-Then, we did not have selfies, Instagram and other social media platforms. All my memories are etched in my mind. Still, we loved it.
My memories are very vivid especially as a child in primary school eagerly waiting for Easter holidays because we knew we were going to watch the Safari Rally.
My dad laughs reminding me we couldn’t even pronounce Safari Rally but nevertheless looked forward to the event.
It was all about the out-of-town drive to Corner Baridi to watch Rally cars as they sped off past us.
The sound those cars made was epic as we cheered each vehicle with shouts and even imitating the sound they made. It was a real adrenaline rush moment for me.
There is this time we were privileged to watching them take off from Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
The Vroom! As the driver raced the engine before being flagged off is still clear in my mind. It refused go.
This I remember was the only time my Dad would let me stand and sit on top of his beloved white Toyota Corolla KRK273…this was epic
It was also the day our mum would get us snacks; then, snacks were rare. You see, they were pegged on someone’s good behaviour as per the threshold set by our parents.
Safari Rally equaled getting a chance to eat French fries (chips) and chicken from Kenchic, opposite Jevanjee gardens, Cribbaz and Patcos.
We would usually gang up with other family friends to enjoy the moment, while hopping from one family friend to another. It was the moment for picnicking, with utmost fun.
After a thrilling day, we would return home and proceed to make rally cars out of small carton boxes and bottle tops as wheels. We would then race them as if we were the Safari Rally drivers.
I wonder whether I would still go and watch the Safari Rally with the same enthusiasm as I had when I was a child.
I’d probably go to hang out with a good company.
This is indeed a moment for all Kenyans, after a 19-year hiatus.
-About the Event-
Thursday’s lunchtime starts 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, will send 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.
(Additional Information About the Rally Courtesy of World Rally Championship.
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