Amina celebrates Todt's contribution towards WRC Safari return

Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has thanked outgoing International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt for his contribution and support towards bringing back the World Rally Championship (WRC) to Kenya. 

"President Todt is leaving after 12 years at the helm of the FIA. He has been very instrumental in most of the work we have done around the Safari Rally to see its return to the WRC and for that, we thank him for his immense support and service to our country," said Mohamed at the sidelines of the FIA General Assembly last week. 

In October 2020, Mohamed was elected as a member of the World Motorsport Council. Todt termed her election a great asset for FIA advancing gender equality and diversity.

"We have a new president in Mohammed Ben Sulayem who was elected democratically with over 60 per cent of the votes and this support tells a story that the membership is comfortable with his leadership. 

Kenya will remain in the Motorsport Council and we will continue being part of the decisions made for the sport whether in Formula 1 and other track races or the traditional road races," added Mohamed in her interview. 

Safari Rally lost its WRC status in 2002 and upon being elected to head the Kenya Motorsport Federation (KMSF) Phineas Kimathi, successfully, continued efforts of former leadership to get reinstatement.  

Todt visited Kenya in 2015 when FIA restored technical links which had deteriorated over the years since the Safari lost its WRC status. Todt, a former Safari navigator, accompanied by KMSF directors Kimathi and Jassy Rai, also held talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta on what Kenya needed to do to stage a WRC candidate Safari in 2017 with a view of returning to the World Series by 2018.

Part of the Safari’s problems with FIA was lack of sponsorship, poor timing, system and safety. FIA first expressed its dissatisfaction with the Kenyan event in 1997 when the country was rocked by violence sparked by the general elections and the government could not guarantee the safety of participants. 

Changes in the traditional dates in 2002, from the rainy and muddy April to July when it is cold and dusty, served as another setback as the rally lost its appeal to drivers who preferred manoeuvring their way through muddy and treacherous earth roads.

This coupled with the loss of the corporate sponsors and failure on the government’s part to guarantee and bail out the cash-strapped Safari Rally Limited, which had failed to pay its dues to FIA, saw the event replaced by Turkey's Anatolian Rally.

In 2017, Safari Rally, which was the second Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) event, got reinstated to the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) as the continental championship’s second event following a two-year hiatus. This was a step in the right direction in the federation’s bid to have the Safari return to the WRC. 

The government had already committed to pay a promoter fee of Ksh100 million for the WRC while KMSF procured a Tag Heuer timing system which was used in the Safari. 

Things were looking up and with Todt backing WRC's return to Africa before his third term ended, Kenya got a WRC candidature event in 2019. Its success saw Kenya reinstated to the WRC in 2020 but the event was delayed to 2021 by the Covid-19 pandemic that grounded sporting activities the world over. 

Meanwhile, during last week's FIA awards, Africa Concours d’Elegance received global recognition after organiser Bob Dewar was honoured for his contribution to motorsport during the FIA Awards Gala.

Run through the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, Concours attracts over 10,000 spectators every year at the Nairobi Racecourse.

Dewar, who is also a Director at the Kenya Motor Sport Federation, was bestowed with the FIA Founding Members Club Heritage Cup.

Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo and his longstanding navigator Tim Jessop received their trophies as the 2021 FIA Africa Rally Championship (ARC) drivers’ and co-drivers’ champions.

Tundo and Jessop won four out of six events in the FIA Africa Rally Championship to top the final continental standings.