Bundu Fundi with second victory as Rhino Charge continues conservation campaign

This year's edition of the Rhino Charge - an annual off-road 4×4 motorsport competition- cum- fundraiser was held on Saturday, attracting 54 teams.

The event held in support of conservation activities, this year raised a remarkable Ksh156 million, Ksh10 million more than last year.

The Rhino Charge competition, which supports the activities of the Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust, was held in Mosiro, Kajiado County.

Team Bundufundi, led by Sean Avery, won the overall title for the second year in a row. Gray Cullen's The Smiling Shenzis finished second, followed by Philip Walton's Team 5.

Among this year's sponsors of the event was Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) through the White Cap beer brand which was the event’s Official Responsible Drinking Partner.

Speaking during the event, White Cap Brand Manager Abel Ratemo said that the sponsorship was part of KBL’s long-term goal to leverage the motorsport space to advocate for responsible drinking culture through motorsport.

As part of its involvement in this year’s edition, White Cap sponsored Bush Babes; an all-women team that took part in the competition.

According to Ratemo, the sponsorship for the Bush Babes was part of the brand’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

“We are delighted to have sponsored the Bush Babes as part of our efforts to support diversity and inclusivity, and especially in women in sports that are male-dominated such as motorsport.”

The all-women team had been passionate about the charge for more than 11 years now. The team won this year’s prestigious Coup Des Dames award, making it the eighth time that they have won the title. 

They also managed a podium finish in the Unmodified Class during this year’s event after successfully completing 12 of the 13 set checkpoints.

Since its inception, the Rhino Charge event has raised over Sh1.7 billion towards the conservation of Mt Kenya, Aberdares, and Mt Eburu forests.

“The conservation efforts of the Rhino Ark have seen Kenyans fundraise and get involved in tree planting campaigns among other conservation efforts. The fence has kept wild animals out of their farms and there is now harmony with the habitat.

To date, Rhino Ark has built over 650 km of electric fences and through the fencing programs, over 80,000 families are being protected from the dangers of human-wildlife conflicts," Rhino Ark CEO Christian Lambrechts said.

Rhino Ark’s electric fences protect critical mountain forests that are the ‘water towers’ of Kenya. These mountain forests are vital ecosystems that support the country’s economic development and the well-being of most Kenyans.

"Motorsport is a growing sport in Kenya that continues to attract many people, which gives us an opportunity to spread out our messages about responsible drinking. This year’s edition has been interesting, that has lived up to its hype and we believe that we have spoken to our audience,” said Ratemo.