Toyota Kenya has sponsored the World Rally Championships (WRC) Safari Rally set for June in Naivasha, kenya.
The car sellers boosted the event with Kshs 30 million sponsorship with managing director Arvinder Reel handing over the sponsorship cheque to Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohammed.
Reel said that Toyota has a rich history at Safari Rally with the car having recorded eight wins, the first win coming in 1984 in a Toyota Celica.
“I believe that it is befitting that the last Toyota win at the WRC Safari Rally before quitting WRC in 1999 was by a Kenyan, Ian Duncan in 1994, driving a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD,” said Reel.
Amina noted that Toyota gained its reputation as the “King of Africa” amassing an impressive eight Safari Rally victories
“Today’s event brings us closer to re-living this Toyota experience when the Safari Rally returns to our country and continent in 44 days,” Amina said.
Amina recalled how President Uhuru Kenyatta started the campaign to have Safari Rally back on the WRC calendar when he met International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt twice in Nairobi and Jamaica.
“In 2019, to the jubilation of all motorsport lovers in the region, the Safari Rally returned to the prestigious World Rally Championship following months of enriching engagements with the Federation’ Internationale Automobile (FIA) and the WRC Promoter,” said Amina