The eagerly awaited return of the Safari Rally Kenya to the World Rally Championship (WRC) has been pushed to 2021.
Following an agreement between the Government of Kenya, WRC Promoter and the International Automobile Association (FIA), the event will not take place on July 16-19 as earlier scheduled.
The decision was reached following sustained discussions between the three entities since March 2020 when the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to Sports CS Ambassador Amina Mohamed, the pronouncement has considered the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on global economies, cross-border travel, mass social engagements among other health-necessitated restrictions vis-a-vis Kenya and associated partners’ commitment to hosting a successful and monumental event after an 18-year break.
The event will now take place at a suitable date to be announced later.
“We are grateful to the Patron, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta, for his unwavering support and counsel as we deliberated on the next best steps. We also owe exceptional gratitude to the President of the FIA, Jean Todt and the WRC Promoter led by Oliver Ciesla for their unyielding support since we commenced engagements to return the Safari Rally to the WRC Circuit,” said Mohamed.
“We will continue to prepare for the event as groundworks are already in top-gear and look forward to welcoming rally professionals, teams and enthusiasts to Kenya when the event is re-convened next year.
Postponing the event to 2021 was not a simple decision to make, however, we are cognizant of the present global challenges and assure that the Safari Rally will mark a significant part of our country’s history as was intended for the next three years,” added the CS.
