Safari legends honoured in 70th anniversary celebrations

Departed and surviving legends of Safari were this weekend acknowledged for their distinguished service to the nation in a nostalgic dinner to mark the 70th anniversary celebrations of the remarkable event.

Safari's late legends Shekhar Mehta, Joginder Singh and Prem Choda were among those honored posthumously and their recognition plaques bestowed to their immediate family members.

Mehta, a five times World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally winner back in the day, had his plaque received by his wife and former navigator Yvonne Mehta.

The legendary Ann Taeith, who became the first woman to win a round of the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) in 1984 spoke on behalf of Women In Motorsports while the legendary Mike Kirkland addressed the occasion on behalf of the men in the sport.

Taeith narrated how Safari transformed from a 6000km marathon and endurance event to literally a race.

"I would like to thank my navigator Sylvia King who has inspired so many women in Kenya. Back in the 1970s, there were not many women involved in motorsports and no African woman I can think of until Orie Rogo Manduli came to the fore.

Sylvia and I did many Safaris of the old, many championships and many club rallies. We regularly won the KMSC Rallies in fairly standard cars," said Taeith, who retired in her maiden Safari in 1971 with Ann McHaedy.

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Kirkland, on his part, revisited his encounters with Eric Cecil aka "Bwana Safari" who was the leading light in the founding of the 1953 Coronation Safari Rally which he became a past chairman.

"Eric Cecil provided the best fun of our lives and we will forever be indebted to him. Today, I am wearing a jacket presented to me by Mr Cecil; he truly deserves our respect,” Kirland offered.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba who was the chief guest during the inaugural ceremony accompanied by Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi, a legend in his own right called on organisers to make the event an annual fixture on their Kenya Motorsport calendar.

“This is a real feel of 70 incredible years of Safari and as we continue to walk down the memory lane, we take this opportunity to recognize all individuals who have written this history with the passion that befits this iconic Safari. I would like to instruct that the Safari legends event be an annual ceremony,” CS Ababu remarked.

Others honored included previous Safari champions among them the 2003 winner Glen Edmunds, Carl "Flash" Tundo (five times winner), multiple winner Baldev Singh Chager and Ian Duncan who was the last Kenyan to win the WRC version of the event outright in 1994.

Patrick Njiru, the greatest black indigenous driver of all time, wowed the occasion when he recounted the glory days and individuals who made the event special to many in Kenya and overseas.