The Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) has firmly asked all vehicle clubs to start having night parades again. Mwaura Njuguna, the innovative General Manager of KMSF, said that night races could bring back Kenyan racing, which had been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We beg motor clubs to hold night rallies,” said Njuguna. This will take us back to the good old days of the Safari Rally.”
This call came from the holy ground of Mombasa Cement, where round six of the Kenya National Rally Championship had just finished. At the event, Njuguna tried, among other things, to get more business support for this exciting sport.
Njuguna thanked long-time sponsors Mombasa Cement Ltd., Synergy Gases, Aquelle, Lota Motorsports, Sida, Texas Alarms, Vipingo Ridge, Coca-Cola Coastal Bottlers, and Sling Shot Ltd. “Mombasa Cement’s consistent support helped plan this weekend’s event. They were always satisfied with this project, even when it wasn’t about KNRC, autocross, or other events.
“We want more fans who can work with us to take this sport to new heights that have never been reached before,” was his rallying cry.
Njuguna was glad that the Safari Rally had a night event put on by the Mombasa Motor Club. He also said that KMSF is ready to work with motor clubs to organize more events at midnight.
Since the COVID-19 epidemic caused trouble, Njuguna said, “We had a temporary setback, but now we are trying to get back to where we belong.” Our main goal is to teach and bring in young people who will become the next generation.
He talked about the recent Mombasa event’s importance, where experienced runners taught new runners in 12 cars how to navigate. “Our goal is to give young people a big stage,” says Njuguna. “This will make it easier for them to join the motorsports community in the long run.”
At the event, 24-year-old Jeremiah Wahome won his second KNRC race. Victor Okundi, a local man, drove Wahome’s Ford Fiesta Rally 2 for a great time of 02:12:12.
“It’s hard to explain how happy I am to have won my second KNRC race at home,” said Wahome. The most important thing I’ve done in races is that I’ve been able to do all of these things in the same season.
Even when their communication system broke, his co-pilot, Victor Okundi, kept saying how vital youth and energy were to winning. Okundi said, “We could travel 44 kilometers without making a sound thanks to Jeremiah’s amazing ability to remember navigational notes.”
In 02:14:18, the older Riyaz Ismail drove Anthony Nielsen to third place. From Taita Taveta County, Nielsen said, “As farmers, we don’t do this sport all the time, but when we do, it’s mostly for fun.”
When he thought about the future, he said, “Our goals now tend towards participating in the Classic.”
Ababu Namwamba, who is in charge of sports, to help Kenya do better in the race. He said that making such a promise would make people happy and make it easier for more women to join, making racing more exciting and diverse.
