The much-anticipated WRC Safari Rally Kenya officially starts today with a flag-off at KICC by President William Ruto.
This will be followed by a Super Spectator Stage at Kasarani covering 4.84 kilometres before heading down to Service Park in Naivasha for the three-day display.
Service Park is located at the Kenya Wildlife Research Training Institute and serves as the heart of the rally.
Here, the teams fine-tune their vehicles and conduct essential maintenance with the help of their dedicated mechanics.
The rally takes various routes in Naivasha which are Malewa, Loldia, Elementaita and Soysambu.
There are several spectator stages along the routes which conclude at the Hells Gate National Park where the closing ceremony will be held with winners being announced.
On Wednesday, the rally drivers participated in a challenging 5.4-kilometre shakedown at Loldia Ranch located in the Ndulele Conservancy in Naivasha.
A shakedown is a “sample" of what the roads will be like to allow drivers to prepare and test their car setup for the rally and weather conditions ahead.
While no points are earned during the shakedown, a strong performance serves as a morale booster for the crews and provides insights into their level of preparedness for the main event.
Ruto, on Tuesday, welcomed the drivers to the country while rallying Kenyans to troop to Naivasha for the event.
“We are honoured to host the world's toughest motor rallying contest, a captivating showpiece, where human ingenuity and endurance, breathtaking rugged terrain and the epitome of automotive engineering excellence are stretched to the limit in the epic struggle that is the WRC Safari Rally,” he said.
“This Easter weekend, I join the people of Kenya to welcome top WRC Safari Rally drivers to Naivasha, in the Great Rift Valley, an incomparable beautiful destination in magical Kenya, the first home of humankind.”
The event is ranked as one of the most challenging rallies on the calendar of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
FIA Vice-President for Sport Africa and FIA World Motor Sport Council member Rodrigo Rocha will be in attendance.
According to a schedule released by FIA, Friday’s first full leg consists of three stages run either side of the Naivasha service halt.
