IG Mutyambai assures Kenyans of security during the Safari Rally
A head of WRC Safari Rally Championship set for June 24-27,Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai has assured Kenyans that security will be ensured to all those who will take part or attend the event which will take place in the scenic town of Naivasha in Nakuru County after restoration to the WRC calendar following an intensive campaign led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mutyambai further called upon Kenyans to come out in large numbers and cheer their respective favourite home based drivers during the competition which returns to the country after 19 year absence
“I want to take this opportunity to assure all the stakeholders involved in the upcoming WRC Safari Rally that the government would provide much needed security and there is no cause for alarm.
“The drivers expected to take part and the spectators who look forward to attend are our top priority and security will be beefed up by all our apparatus to ensure it is a success. There are several meetings happening all over to synchronise every arrangements geared towards a world class event in compliance with global standard practice” he said.
Members of the motorsports fraternity and other stakeholders are buzzing ahead of the start of the event and according to Rose Wachuka, the Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, it is a “moment of pride” for the East African nation.
Wachuka said leadership, organization, investment by government and Kenya’s growth as a sports destination had contributed to a successful return to the global stage after years of painstaking effort.
“The rally is steeped in our country’s heritage and so it is just incredible to see it coming together, it is incredible to see it unfolding and it is great to have drivers from across the world coming to Kenya for the first time, for the toughest rally on the planet,” noted Wachuka.
A total of 58 drivers have been confirmed for the event, 24 of them foreigners with the most prominent being Frenchman Sébastien Ogier who has claimed seven WRC titles in the last eight seasons.
Other notable foreign names in the rally are 2019 WRC champion Ott Tanak, Dani Sordo, Thierry Neuville and Pierre-Louis Loubet.
The WRC returns to Africa for the first time since 2002. The Safari of old has evolved to fit the modern-day WRC, but its character remains with challenging closed dirt roads, stunning picture-postcard scenery and exotic wildlife.
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