Rajveer Thethy during a past Shell AutoX and AutoX Plus Event in Stoni Athi/ HANDOUT
The 254 Motorsports Club has waived all entry fees for the opening round of the 2026 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC), sanctioned by the newly formed Motorsport Kenya Federation (MK-F).
The landmark incentive aims to lower participation costs and attract a larger field when the season blasts off at Stoni Athi Grille from July 31 to August 1.
MK-F President Altaf Ganatra said: “Now the real work begins. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be focused on getting the federation fully on its feet, putting the right structures in place, and delivering on the vision we’ve all worked so hard to create.”
“To celebrate this historic milestone, I am delighted to announce that MK-F will waive all entry fees for Round One... We hope this gesture encourages strong participation as we begin this exciting new chapter for motorsport in Kenya together.”
With the financial barrier removed, attention shifts to an unforgiving gravel route. Organisers have added a distinctly Kenyan flavour by naming the competitive stages after two of the country’s iconic Big Five animals: Chui (Leopard) and Simba (Lion).
The rally will be contested entirely on gravel competitive stages, while liaison sections will combine tarmac and gravel. Crews will tackle seven special stages covering 139.70 km within an overall route of 158.91 km. The itinerary comprises three stages repeated once and another stage run twice. Chui 1 and Chui 2 each stretch over 19.10 km, while Simba 1 and Simba 2—at 27.89 km apiece—will provide the longest and most demanding tests of the rally.
The route is completed by three spectator-friendly runs, Spectator Stages 1, 2, and 3. The final pass doubles as the Power Stage; measuring 15.24 km, it is the shortest test on the itinerary but could prove decisive as crews chase valuable bonus points.
The fight for early championship momentum will be just as fierce as the battle against the clock. Victory earns 30 points, with second and third places collecting 24 and 21 points respectively. The scale extends to 14th place before every classified finisher beyond that receives one point, placing a premium on consistency across all seven stages.
Stoni Athi Grille will serve as both rally headquarters and the service park. The rally will be directed by Clerk of the Course Pipii Renu, assisted by George Njoroge.
Standard entries remain open until 6 pm on July 27, while late entries will be accepted until 5 pm on July 29. The road book will be released online on at 2 pm on July 30, followed by the official entry list at 6 pm.
July 31 will be devoted to reconnaissance, administrative checks, scrutineering, and tracking system collection between 8 am and 3 pm. The first Stewards’ Meeting will take place at 4 pm, with the start order published an hour later.
Competitive action gets underway on August 1. All cars must be in Parc Fermé by 7 am ahead of the mandatory drivers’ briefing at 7:30 am. The first crew will leave the ramp at 9 am, tackling three demanding sections separated by two service halts.
The first car is expected at the finish control at 3:21 pm, followed by final scrutineering and the second Stewards’ Meeting. Provisional results will be published at 4:45 pm, leading into the prize-giving ceremony at Rally Headquarters once the final classification is confirmed.
