The KCB M-Benki Nanyuki rally will be held mid day June 27th on the slopes of Mt Kenya, KRDA representative Abdul Sidi announced this morning in Nairobi.
The bankers have pumped in 40 million Kenya shillings as sponsorship fees for the rally season and over 25 million shillings towards activation of the KNRC events.
The two day rally returns to Nanyuki after a two year absence. Notably of great interest will be the participation of female team Haraka Mamas and Warembo bila make ups, who will be up to the task, and challenge the the men in the male dominated sport.
Rally driving in Kenya has gone to a decline hence making the sport almost extinct in some areas of the country especially in middle low class and low class societies.
Lack of sponsorships has since made the sport unpopular, an issue that Abdul Sidi acknowledges to being a huge problem.
Sidi promised to work harder and improve the situation, urging more companies to follow suit of the bankers and promote Kenyan drivers.
“It is a big challenge to get sponsorship in this sport. Mostly we rely on our family and friends to get the machines ready for an event which is very expensive,” Said female drivers Tamara and Jones who make up the Haraka mamas team which is sponsored by local company ‘focus container freight’.
The team is set to challenge the more experienced males in Nanyuki this coming weekend.
Helen Chiri, the first Kenyan woman to finish a rally in Uganda will miss the event due to lack of sponsorship. But this will not dampen the spirits of the day as Linnet Auko will be able to grace the occasion and increase the number of female participants.
Rally driving in Kenya has gone to a decline as compared to the early and mid 90s when the likes of Patrick Njiru graced the slopes of the country with their driving skills.
Of more importance though, will be the participation of females in the sport and how the organizers of the event are strategizing to popularize the sport one more time among women in Kenyan societies and the youth, especially in the lower middle class and low class areas.
Rally cars will go through five routes during the event. A 3 km Batian view, Loldiaga 54 km, Ol-Donyo 15 km, Kisima 15 km and Equinox 10 km.
Author: Shadrack Andenga Odinga