Kenya and motorsport body plot road back to the top

Government and federation align on grassroots revival and the 2027 Safari Rally as the sport seeks to reclaim its place on the world stage

By Martin Weche

Motorsport Kenya Federation held high-level talks with the government yesterday at Talanta Plaza in Nairobi, mapping out a shared agenda for reviving the sport domestically and securing Kenya’s position as Africa’s premier motorsport destination.

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya and Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi hosted the federation’s delegation, which comprised Vice President and WRC chief executive Carl Tundo, Secretary General Eric Bengi and Motorsports Council chairman Mindo Gatimu. The discussions covered grassroots development, youth participation, the national championship structure and preparations for the 2027 WRC Safari Rally, scheduled for March of that year.

The meeting reflected a growing urgency within both government and the federation to move Kenyan motorsport beyond aspiration and into structured, funded action. Mvurya and Mwangi told the delegation they had been tracking the federation’s grassroots and youth development work, particularly through the Autocross Championship, which has become the primary entry point for young drivers into organised competition. Both officials expressed a clear interest in seeing the National Rally Championship revived and strengthened, creating a defined pathway for Kenyan drivers, teams and officials to progress from local events to the highest levels of the sport.

Tundo used the meeting to acknowledge the government’s role in keeping the revival on track. “We would like to thank the government, the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary for their continued support and commitment towards seeing motorsport regain its place in Kenya,” he said. “There is a lot of work to be done, but we believe that with the right structure, investment and cooperation, we can rebuild the sport from the grassroots upwards.”

The words carry weight coming from Tundo, one of Kenya’s most decorated rally drivers and now the man responsible for delivering the WRC Safari Rally as a world-class event. His presence at a government meeting focused on grassroots development signals that the federation sees both ends of the sport — the international showpiece and the entry-level championships — as inseparable parts of the same project.

That philosophy will be on public display this weekend when the Shell Autocross and Autocross Plus Championship returns to the Kasarani Sports Complex grounds on 10 and 11 October. The venue carries its own historical resonance. Kasarani was long associated with the Safari Rally’s Super Special stage, a format that brought the spectacle of world rally racing into the heart of Nairobi. That stage was removed from the 2026 WRC itinerary when the event moved to a Naivasha-only route, but this weekend the complex will again be filled with rally cars, drivers, crews and fans — this time through Kenya’s grassroots championship. For the federation, the symbolism is intentional.

The 2026 Safari Rally, held from 12 to 15 March as Round 3 of the FIA World Rally Championship, demonstrated again that Kenya can stage an event of global stature. The challenge the federation now faces is ensuring that the benefits of that international platform — in visibility, investment and inspiration — flow through to the domestic game rather than existing in a separate orbit.

Kenya’s motorsport history makes the current moment both encouraging and instructive. The Safari Rally’s reputation was built over decades through a combination of government support, private sponsorship, technical excellence and the kind of local talent that could compete with the best in the world. That ecosystem did not sustain itself automatically, and its decline over difficult years was a reminder that world-class sport requires sustained, structured investment rather than periodic attention when a headline event approaches.

The federation says it is determined not to repeat that pattern. Its stated objective is not only to revive the sport domestically but to restore Kenya’s regional and international standing while creating genuine career pathways for young Kenyans who want to compete, officiate, engineer or work within motorsport professionally. The Autocross Championship is the foundation of that ambition — affordable, accessible, and increasingly popular among young competitors who might never have considered motorsport a realistic pursuit.

With the 2027 Safari Rally now firmly on the planning horizon, the pressure to demonstrate progress is real. Government backing is in place. The federation’s leadership is engaged. The grassroots programme is running. What the coming months will test is whether that alignment translates into the sustained investment, structural development and institutional follow-through that transforming a sport actually requires.

Kenya has done it before. The question being asked at Talanta Plaza yesterday was whether the country is ready to do it again — and this time, to build something that lasts.

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