Date Published:
The 2023 WRC Safari Rally reached a thrilling conclusion in Hell’s Gate National Park in Nakuru County in an annual, spectacular commingling of sports and conservation on Sunday, 25th June, 2023.
This last leg, consisting of 80kms of rallying, climaxed at the Hell’s Gate Power Stage, hosted by KWS Board of Trustees Chair Lt. Gen Walter Koipaton, flanked by KWS acting Director General Dr. Erustus Kanga and Senior Management. This finale to a four-day enthralling rally, which commenced on Thursday 22nd June in Uhuru park in Nairobi, comprised of 19 Special Stages and over 360 kms in total of the entire Safari Rally route.
The rally was preceded by a shakedown in Loldai, whose undulating tracks and varying surfaces gave rally crews an idea of the terrain they would be tackling during the race. The WRC Safari Rally, which is embedded in Kenya’s DNA, evolved from a casual, fun motoring event in 1953, to a global sporting extravaganza today. The rally, which marked its 70th anniversary this year, is renowned as one of rallying’s toughest challenges, in addition to having enormous, socio-economic benefits for Kenya, from tourism and trade, to the revolutionary agenda of sports for climate action.
Kasarani was the starting point of the hotly-contested rally, which included a mother-daughter duo. The challenging course went through Loldia, Geothermal fields of the Ol Karia Geothermal projects; Kedong, Soysambu, Elementaita, Sleeping Warrior, Malewa and Oserian, before concluding at Hell’s Gate National Park. This venue presented a spectacular opportunity for spectators to get close to the action on the final day, and watch the battle for the Power Stage.
There was a special spectator’s ‘green guide,’ which exhorted spectators to: respect their surroundings; be aware of their actions; save water; use public transport; organize car pools; drive eco-friendly vehicles; go paperless; buy green; lead the way and love the rally sport, in efforts to conserve the environment.
The much-anticipated WRC Rally was mainly sponsored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports, with additional resourcing from WRTI, Toyota Kenya, Kenya Airways, KCB Bank, Talanta Hela, and a host of other benefactors.
Safari Rally History
- First held in 1953.
- Renamed the East African Safari Rally until 1974, when it became the Kenya Safari Rally.
- It made its return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2021 after a 19-year hiatus.
- Exited from the WRC calendar in 2003.
- Since 2003, the event has been part of the FIA African Rally Championship, organized by Kenya Motorsports Federation.
- The 2021 rally, which ran between 23rd and 27th June, earned its rightful place back amongst the greatest WRC events in the world.
