The 2025 Safari Rally will have two new stages, chief executive officer, Charles Gacheru has revealed.
Speaking during a tour of the course in Naivasha, Gacheru said: “We’ve added two fresh stages— a 5km shakedown at Camp Moran and an 8km race at Morendat Farm— to enhance the thrill for fans and competitors,” he added.
The rally will run from March 20- 23 in Nairobi and Naivasha counties with a ceremonial flag-off by President William Ruto at City Hall Way, nestled between KICC and City Hall, a strategic move to make the event more accessible to fans.
“We will have the flag off outside KICC and City Hall which will make the rally more accessible to fans. We want the spectators to see, hear and get into the rally.”
The opening leg will feature the adrenaline-pumping Kasarani twin track, a 4.76km track before heading to Morendat Farm.
The following day will feature stages in Camp Moran, Loldia and Geothermal before concluding in Kedong.
Sleeping Warrior will kick off action on Day Three followed by Elementaita and Soysambu stages.
The rally will culminate at Hell’s Gate National Park, maintaining last year’s picturesque finish line.
Organisers have further introduced “Eventhos,” a cutting edge management programme to improve safety and coordination.
Event Director Norris Ongalo explained, “With Eventhos, we’ll track safety officials, emergency services and resources in real-time, ensuring seamless operations.”
To broaden fan access, Gacheru revealed ongoing negotiations with WRC TV for free broadcasts of the rally.
“We aim to bring the excitement of Safari Rally closer to the people,” he said.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya underscored the rally’s economic impact, highlighting Kenya’s top ranking in global WRC viewership, with a staggering 80 million tuning in for the 2022 edition.
“We are very happy that Kenya is ranked top in the WRC viewership and we want to maintain that. Safari Rally is not just about watching cars competing but we have greater benefits of profiling our country for trade and other economic activities,” he stated.
The CS directed that short-term job opportunities be prioritised for local youth, ensuring the rally’s economic benefits trickle down to the community.
“I have instructed that all temporary employment and services, such as food supply, involve area residents to boost the county’s economic growth,” Mvurya said.
With preparations on track, the Ministry of Sports will provide regular updates to keep Kenyans informed.
“We’re committed to ensuring everyone stays in the loop as we deliver another world-class Safari Rally,” Mvurya concluded.
The 2025 WRC season began with the Rallye Monte-Carlo in Monaco (January 23-26 ) and the Rally Sweden (February 13-16 ), with Kenya ready to take centre stage as the third stop.
During his inaugural visit to the Rally’s service park at the Kenya Wildlife Research Training Institute in Naivasha, the CS, accompanied by Sports Principle Secretary Peter Tum, emphasised the government’s commitment to delivering a world-class event.
“I am happy to announce to the leadership of Nakuru County and the nation at large that Kenya is ready to organise the WRC Safari Rally come March,” declared Mvurya.
The visit focused on enhancing
collaboration between the host
county and key stakeholders.
