CS Balala happy with progress of Safari Rally service
World Rally Championship Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi (left) explains a point to Tourism CS Najib Balala during an inspection tour of the rally’s Service Park in Naivasha on August 10, 2020.
What you need to know:
- He was optimistic that the ground will be ready in time for the rescheduled 2021 rally which will help raise Kenya’s profile on the global map.
- The CS said the rally will be a big boost for sports tourism in the country.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala on Monday toured the World Rally Championship Safari Rally’s service park in Naivasha and expressed satisfaction at the progress in its construction.
The service park is located within the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute on the outskirts of Naivasha town.
It will be the hub of activity when the Safari Rally returns to the World Rally Championship circuit next year.
The WRC Safari Rally was initially programmed for last month, but was postponed by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) – owing to the coronavirus pandemic – to a fresh date next year that’s yet to be announced.
Balala, once again, assured of the government’s commitment in ensuring that the Safari Rally’s return to the world circuit is flawless.
He pointed out that it was almost 19 years since the rally was last on the global circuit, and the fact that space was allocated within the KWS institute for the service park is a demonstration of the Ministry of Tourism’s commitment to support the iconic competition.
“We will have a state-of-the-art pavilion around where the servicing of rally cars will take place,” said Balala.
He was optimistic that the ground will be ready in time for the rescheduled 2021 rally which will help raise Kenya’s profile on the global map.
The CS said the rally will be a big boost for sports tourism in the country.
