This year’s Safari Rally will be staged from June 22 to 25 in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ababu Namwamba has appointed rally star Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo as the chair of the Local Organising Committee of the 2023 World Rally Championships (WRC) replacing the Kenya Motorsports Federation (KMSF) CEO Phineas Kimathi.
Namwamba noted that making such crucial decisions in good time is proof to the world that Kenya is ready to host the championship come June.
He added that the government is bubbling with confidence ahead of the global event and everything is set.
“This is a special moment for us because we are declaring to the whole world that we are ready to host the Safari 2023. There has been a lot going on and we want to clear the air that the Safari will be on and there is no doubt about it.
He will make sure all the nuts and bolts are in place and that the organising committee gets the whole process going,” the CS said.
Namwamba went down memory lane on how special it is to host the rally this year. The rally joined the WRC circuit in 1973 before exiting in 2002 and making come back in 2021, marking its 50th anniversary.
He explained how he traveled to Monte Carlo for the season kick-off and observed how the International Federation of Automobiles (FIA) is so keen on celebrating the anniversary. “They hold it with so much significance,” he said.
He challenged Tundo and the team selected to make the rally a world class event.
Meanwhile, he also said they have to be cautious about how the government and sponsors use resources for the rally. “We are going to be keen on how those resources are used,” he said.
Namwamba concluded by calling upon more women and youngsters to venture into rally driving.
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