SPORTS MARKETING
Safari Rally: The World’s
Toughest Is Back!
By Richard Wanjohi
A
fter an 18-year hiatus, the Safari
Rally is back in the WRC (World
Rallying Championship) circuit!
For the uninitiated, the WRC is the main
rallying circuit for motorsports, run by
the FIA (Fédération Internationale de
l'Automobile loosely translated in English
to mean the International Automobile
Federation). Each year the WRC has 14
Rallies across the world, looking to host at
least one rally in each continent.
With an estimated total TV audience of
825 million viewers and another 4.1 million
spectators for the full 14 Rallies across the
globe, this is another shot in the arm for
Kenyan motorsport. The Safari Rally will be
the sole representative from Africa in the
2020 circuit, having beat other rallies from
Southern and North Africa which had
hoped to be included. This is no mean feat
by any standards and is an endorsement on
the ability of the country to hold the WRC
rallies once again. Congratulations!
Milieu
The Safari Rally was inaugurated in
1953 initially as the Coronation Rally
- in celebration of the current Queen
of England, Elizabeth II having been
coronated in Kenya following the death of
her father, King George in 1952.
The Rally was added to the WRC 20 years
later as the East Africa Safari Rally in
1973 - attracting a wealth of talented rally
drivers from across the world, including
Finland’s Hannu Mikkola, Swedish
Harry Kallstrom, Kenya’s Joginder Singh
and Shekhar Mehta. The 1973 rally also
included the current president of the FIA,
Jean Todt who co-driving Ove Andersson
in a Peugeot 504, finished 3rd overall!
Two years later the name ‘East African’
was dropped to retain the ‘Safari Rally’
moniker which became the perfect
distinctiveness to distinguish it among
competing rallies. The Rally retained much
of this identity, save for the occasional
changes in title sponsors - from tobacco
company Marlboro 1982-90, to Martini
The Rally was added to the WRC 20 years
later as the East Africa Safari Rally in 1973
- attracting a wealth of talented rally drivers
from across the world, including Finland’s
Hannu Mikkola, Swedish Harry Kallstrom,
Kenya’s Joginder Singh and Shekhar Mehta.
The 1973 rally also included the current pres-
ident of the FIA, Jean Todt who co-driving
Ove Andersson in a Peugeot 504, finished 3rd
overall!
90 MAL32/19 ISSUE
1991-92, Trust Bank 1993-94, Sameer
1998 and Inmarsat in 2002 in the last
appearance in the WRC.
Citing among others; safety and
security concerns, huge overheads for
manufacturers and rally drivers alike,
lack of consistent corporate sponsorship,
the FIA dropped the Rally for its 2003
calendar. Initial outcry followed and
fingers pointed to the Government
of Kenya - whose administration had
changed during the 2002 elections.
Promises were made on ensuring its
return which became a chorus for the
ensuing years.
In 2013, the current administration
made a commitment to ensure the Safari
Rally’s return to the global circuit. It
has taken the GoK, 6 years to realize
this dream. Proper planning and setting
up of a dedicated secretariat only took
form in 2018 as the country prepared to
host the test rally in 2019. Along with
sports diplomacy from the top, with no
other than the President meeting with
FIA officials, and the current CS for
Sports having been a career diplomat,
the organizers pulled all stops to get the
Rally back on the WRC track.
Present Day
From 2002 to the current situation in
the world of sports, the return will be
heralded as a great win for Kenyan sport
in general and motorsport in particular.
It should not be lost to the Rally
organizers though that the hard work
starts now.