All systems are go for adrenaline-packed action as 254 Motorsports Club gets set to fire up Round 1 of the 2026 Kenya National Rally Championship season at Stoni Athi Grille, sanctioned by Motorsport Federation-Kenya (MK-F).
Scheduled for July 31 to August 1, the season opener has drawn attention for one major reason: entry fees have been completely waived for all competitors!
Organisers say the move is aimed at lowering barriers and boosting the competition for the new campaign.
Altaf Ganatra, the newly-elected president of the Motorsports Kenya-Federation (MK-F), said in a statement: “Now the real work begins. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be focused on getting the Federation fully on its feet, putting the right structures in place, and delivering on the vision we’ve all worked so hard to create.”
–Waived Entry Fees–
“To celebrate this historic milestone, I am delighted to announce that MK-F will waive all entry fees for Round 1 of the Kenya National Rally Championship, scheduled for 31 July & 1 August 2026. We hope this gesture encourages strong participation as we begin this exciting new chapter for motorsport in Kenya together,” highlighted Altaf.
–Swahili-Themed Wildlife Stages And Gravel Test–
Featuring 2 of the Big Five — Chui (Leopard) and Simba (Lion) — the Swahili wildlife-themed stages promise high-octane action.
The rally will be run entirely on 100 percent gravel competitive stages, with liaisons on a mix of tarmac and gravel. Organisers have given the route a local flavor by renaming the special stages after Kenyan wildlife.
Crews will tackle 7 special stages covering a total competitive distance of 139.70km, within an overall route of 158.91km. The itinerary includes three stages repeated once and one stage run twice.
The animal-named speed’tests are Chui 1 and Chui 2— 19.10km each and Simba 1 and Simba 2 — 27.89km each .
These will be bookended by three spectator-friendly runs: Spectator Stage 1, Spectator Stage 2, and Spectator Stage 3, which doubles as the Power Stage. The shortest test is the 15.24km Spectator Stage, while Simba is the longest at 27.89km.
–Points on offer–
Championship points will be awarded deep into the field depending on individual positions. The winner will take 30 points, second place 24 points, and third 21 points. The scale continues down to 14th with a difference 2 points, while every classified finisher after position 14 earns 1 point.
That structure means consistency across the 7 stages will be crucial as drivers chase early momentum in the title race.
–Programme and timelines–
The rally HQ will be based at Stoni Athi Grille, with the Service Park also on site.
Key dates: entries are still open and close on Monday, July 27 at 1800hrs. Late entries will be accepted until Wednesday, July 29 at 1700hrs. The official entry list will be published on Thursday, July 30 at 1800hrs, with the road book released online at 1400hrs the same day.
Friday, July 31 will be busy a busy day with recce allowed between 0800 and 1500hrs, administrative checks, scrutineering, and collection of tracking systems all running in the same window. The first Stewards Meeting is at 1600hrs, with the start list published at 1700hrs.
Race day, Saturday, August 1, begins with all cars in Parc Fermé by 0700hrs. A mandatory drivers’ briefing follows at 0730hrs at Rally HQ. The first car leaves the start ramp at 0900hrs.
The action runs through three sections with two service halts. The first car is due to cross the finish at 1521hrs, followed by final scrutineering and the 2nd Stewards Meeting at 1630hrs. Provisional results will be published at 1645hrs, with the prize giving at Rally HQ immediately after final results are confirmed.
–Leadership–
Clerk of Course Pipii Renu will run the event, assisted by Deputy Clerk George Njoroge, MK Steward Cynthia Muthoni and Club Steward Mwaura Njoroge, Sayka Sparrow (secretary of Stewards), with Milan Kantai as Event Secretary. Chief Scrutineer is Musa Locho and Event Director Muqsit Hussain.
With free entry, animal-named stages, and a compact one-day format, Round 1 is set to deliver a fast, accessible start to the KNRC season.
CAPTION: Rajveer Thethy during a past Shell AutoX and AutoX Plus Event in Stoni Athi. Stoni Athi will host the opening round of the KNRC organisied by 254 MSC and sanctioned by MK-F