Safaricom boost for Classic Safari Rally

Safaricom has announced a Sh17million sponsorship towards the biennial Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally scheduled for November 23 to December 1 across Kenya and Tanzania.

The Telecommunications giant made the announcement at an event held at the Nairobi National Park on Thursday, where Ramesh Vishram one of the drivers who will be rallying for the fifth time, was presented his Ford Escort MK2.

“The Safari Classic Rally continues to uphold its reputation as one of the world’s toughest contests. It is our pleasure to be part its rich heritage. As fans come to experience the adventure of the rally, they will get an opportunity not just to sample the beauty of our country but will also get the chance to experience the breadth of Safaricom’s network coverage and fast internet speeds as they follow the action,” said Sylvia Mulinge, Director – Consumer Business Unit, Safaricom.

Among the big names enlisted for the event are 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, local hero and six time Kenya Champion Ian Duncan, as well as Team Tido and Kabras Sugar Racing who will both run a three car Porsche 911 team for the biennial event.

Also in the mix is the highly competitive Mazda RX-7 of French historic veteran Philippe Gache and Jonathan Somen of Kenya.

This year’s rally will cover 4000kms going into Tanzania and back into Kenya in pre-1985 cars.

Safaricom becomes the latest co-sponsor of the world famous event alongside Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Copy Cat Group, Sarova Group of Hotels, Internet Solutions, Vipingo Ridge as well as the Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) and Automobile Association of Tanzania (AAofTZ).

This year’s rally will be flagged off at Sarova Whitesands on November 23 and finish at the same venue on December 1.