NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 27 – The WRC Safari Rally organizing committee has received a major boost after KCB came on board with Ksh100 million sponsorship as the official banking partner ahead of the global event set to return to Kenya for the first time in 19-years.
Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed who attended the event alongside KCB CEO Joshua Oigara said the funds will go a long way in ensuring Kenya hosts a successful event come June.
A test run for the WRC Safari Rally was conducted over the weekend in the ARC Equator Rally, held in the same route that was won by Carl Tundo.
“We take pleasure that our sponsorship has sustained motorsport and helped build a critical mass of talent competing in local and international platforms. The ambition is to progress this association into the elite level of global rallying,” Amina said.
The Sports Cabinet Secretary added that, “The sponsorship is a significant milestone for the Safari Rally as we have an indigenous institution supporting one of the most iconic events in Africa. KCB has been proactive in supporting sporting activities and nurturing of talents around the country across all the games.”
On his part Oigara said, “We believe the upcoming event is a great opportunity to demonstrate Kenya’s growing credentials as a global sports powerhouse. Over the past 18 years, KCB has invested over 1.2 billion shillings towards supporting motorsports, largely rallies and autocross circuits, through Kenya Motorsports Federation (KMSF).”
“Additionally, over the past decade, KCB has invested 820 million shillings in supporting the Bank’s sports teams; football, volleyball, rugby, and chess. The Bank has also spent over 300 million shillings on golf in the past 10 years.”
“The event will see the return of World’s best WRC drivers on Kenyan soil with the championship covering 797 kilometers in Nairobi, Naivasha and Kiambu counties,” said Phineas Kimathi, the Chairman of KMSF and Chief Executive, WRC Safari Rally.
“WRC is one of the oldest and leading global motorsport competitions and is governed by Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, (FIA). The global event returned to Kenya in 2020, after a nearly two-decade absence but was put off due to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
