The Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba has rallied Kenyans to turn out in large numbers and witness the spectacular 2023 WRC Safari Rally that roars into action next month.
The CS spoke in Nairobi on Friday while presiding over the unveiling of the KCB Group sponsorship deal for the annual global motorsport showpiece.
“We are putting together yet another massive rallying event to reinforce Kenya’s growing profile as a global sporting arena,” Namwamba said.
The event received a massive boost after the bank pumped in a whopping Sh150 million towards its organization on Friday.
Of the total sponsorship monies, Sh100 million will go directly to the 2023 WRC Safari Rally event while Sh50 million will support the sponsorship of three local drivers, brand activations, and customer engagements.
The multi-coloured machines will navigate the rugged terrains and thickets of Nakuru county between June 22-26.
"We want to see our motorsports return to its former glory. We can't be talking about the World Rally Championship (WRC) when we don't have our own Kenya National Rally Championships," Ababu said.
The CS announced that the ministry will continue to provide space dubbed Hustlers Bazaar for enterprising Kenyans to sell their wares during the event.
"As a ministry, we are determined to monetise our sporting ecosystem and as part of our Talanta Hela initiative, we are providing spaces for ordinary Kenyans to come and trade during Safari Rally.
"We want Kenyans to leverage on Safari to put Pesa Mfukoni in line with the government's Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)."
Namwamba described the rally as a breeding ground and the conveyor belt for propelling Kenya's huge talent pool to the world stage.
"This international event must have a unique blend of Kenyan feel. This year, I'm happy to announce that the ministry will be supporting three of our drivers together with an all-female crew, to mix up with the world’s best in Safari Rally together with the team supported by KCB."
Speaking at the launch of the sponsorship, KCB Group Chief Executive Officer, Paul Russo reiterated the organization's desire to support sports in the country.
"KCB has spent over 1.5 billion in sports in the last 10 years. We are happy to continue our support for not just the Rally Championships but also for most of the sporting events in Kenya," Russo said.
"We take great pride in being part of East Africa’s motorsport story since 2003 when we first sponsored the Safari rally. This marks another chapter in our story and reiterates our commitment to supporting sports, as we celebrate the historic return of the WRC Safari Rally to Kenyan soil.”
"I want to urge the Kenya Motorsports Federation to get its act together so that we can get back to where we were before. We are an institution of high governance, and we expect our partners to maintain the same level of governance as us," Russo said.
Sports PS Peter Tum thanked KCB for their support towards Kenya's sports ecosystem and specifically the WRC Safari Rally. He echoed the CS's call on the federation to uphold the values of integrity and transparency in the management of motorsports in Kenya.
Meanwhile, KCB has renewed its sponsorship for two Kenyan drivers, Evans Kavisi and Nikhil Sachania. Karan Patel will be joining the KCB-sponsored team.
