- In 2018, the event helped raise Sh181, 401,055 as compared to Sh154,704,131 in 2019.
- Sh141,083,494 was raised in 2021 and Sh156,279,489 in 2022.
Image: GILBERT KOECH
A total of 58 competitors battled out for this years’ rhino charge event aimed at raising funds for conservation.
The event was held on Saturday at Torosei, Kajiado.
The 4x4 off-road competitions help raise funds for environmental conservation work.
A total of 58 cars took part in the event.
The resources mobilized will be announced on Sunday.
Christian Lambrechts, Rhino Ark's Executive Director, said the charge has been instrumental in raising funds for conservation.
“Rhino Ark, in particular, was the main fund raiser for the construction of the Aberdare fence. After the completion of the Aberdare project, Rhino Ark was able to secure co-financing, but it still remained that substantial co-funding was being provided by the Rhino charge to initiate and co-finance additional funds project that include Mount Kenya, Kakamega, and Eburu, not only in terms of construction but also maintenance,” Lambrechts said.
Lambrechts said the co-funding coming from rhino charge has enabled rhino ark to expand its conservation activities, including conservation education, nature-based livelihoods, wildlife corridor to connect mountains with lowland dispersal areas, and to support Kenya Forest Service Kenya Wildlife Service in law enforcement.
The executive director said they collect access fee for all the cars during rhino charge.
“The entire amount is being remitted to the community for a community project. The projects may include building of classrooms, the establishment of boreholes. Those activities are community wide project that are implemented for the community by the community but with our technical support and our oversight,” Lambrechts said.
The first Rhino Charge raised only Sh250,000, this amount increased tremendously over the years to reach Sh181 million in the 2018 event.
Image: GILBERT KOECH
Sh141,083,494 was raised in 2021 and Sh156,279,489 in 2022.
Kajiado County has the honour of being the pacesetter for Rhino Charge, having hosted the first one ever in 1989.
In the event's 35-year history, the county has hosted competitions, including Suswa (1989), Magadi (1990), L'rogoswa (2004), Londuroj (2010), Nyokie (2013), Mosiro (2022), and this year in Torosei.
The current venue lies at the heart of the lake Magadi-Natron landscape in the critical wildlife migratory corridor in the vast and picturesque Kajiado County, ‘the land of diversity’.
Every year, the Rhino Charge Organising Committee receives requests from various communities interested in hosting the world-renowned 4x4 off-road competitions.
Factors considered in selecting a host conservancy include willingness of the host community, terrain diversity, low human settlement density and appropriate landscape.
This year, the Torosei community, which lives in Kenya's southern landscape bordering Tanzania, was selected for ticking most boxes on the set criteria.
Although Torosei has a huge potential as a wildlife tourist destination, little is known about it outside the county.
The 34th edition of the event last year helped raise S 173 million towards the completion of the 61-km-long section of the Mt Kenya Electric Fence in Nyeri, the construction of the Kakamega Forest electric fence, the maintenance of the 758 kilometres of electric fence built to date in Aberdare, Mt Kenya, Eburu and Kakamega, the expansion of community patrol teams to include South Western Mau, among many other activities.
Projects funded thanks to the Rhino Charge funds include the construction of the world longest game-proof fences, such as the 450 km Mount Kenya Electric Fence of which 300 km have been built to date.
The funds have also been used in the maintenance of the completed 400-km Aberdare Electric Fence and 43.3 km perimeter electric fence around Mount Eburu, as well as for the ongoing construction for the fencing of Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya.
