A Safari Rally driver navigates the course during a past event held in Kenya/FILEKenya will yet again host the World Rally Championship Safari Rally when the 2025 WRC series gets underway between March 20-23.
The Cabinet approved the hosting of the world event during its meeting on Tuesday chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
The race will be held in Naivasha, Nakuru county.
This year's WRC Safari Rally has two new stages: Morendat Farm in Naivasha and Camp Moran in the competitive route of the fabled event that is Africa's only round in the WRC.
Kenya signed a deal with the World Rally Championship to extend Safari Rally hosting rights to December 2026 following its successful return to the championship after almost two decades.
Upon its return since 2002, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT won the 2021 rally held in Kenya in a Toyota Yaris.
WRC announced in February that the entry list for the first gravel round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship is out, with 10 top-level Rally1 cars and 16 WRC2 entries confirmed for Safari Rally Kenya.
Safari Rally Kenya is one of the most punishing events on the racing calendar that features four series: WRC, WRC2, WRC3, and Junior WRC.
Topping the entry list for the Kenyan race is Toyota's Elfyn Evans, navigated by fellow Briton Scott Martin in a Toyota GR Yaris, followed by the Finish duo teammates of Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Hattunen in a similar car.
Evans heads the list for Toyota holding a 28-point advantage coming into the rally, ahead of compatriot Rovanperä and fellow teammate Takamoto Katsuta of Japan in the fifth position, navigated by Aaron Johnston of Ireland also in a Toyota GR Yaris.
Rovanperä is a two-time Safari winner, while Katsuta has finished on the podium in three of his four previous Safari starts.
Kenya will be represented by Karan Patel in a Scoda Fabia, navigated by Tauseef Khan.
The duo features in position 17 on the entry list, two positions ahead of Carl Tundo and Tim Jssop in a Ford Fiesta.
They are followed by Jeremiah Wahome and Victor Okundi in the Skoda Fabia in position 20, and Hamza Anwar and Adnan Din in the Ford Fiesta.
Other Kenyan rally drivers are Samman Sngh Vohra, navigated by Briton Drew Sturrock in a Skoda Fabia Evo, and Aakif Virani and Zahir Shah also in a Skoda Fabia.
Other Kenyan drivers are Nikhil Sachana (Ford Fiesta Rally3); Jasmeet Chana (Ford Fiesta), Rio Smith (Ford Fiesta Rally3); Minesh Rathod (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X); Sameer Nanji (Subaru Impreza WRX); Issa Amwari (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X); Evans Nzioka (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X); Pauline Sheghu (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) and Ishmael Ombati navigated by John Kadivane also in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.
