The 37th edition of the Rhino Charge has kicked off today May 30th, at Ngilai in Samburu County, bringing together some of Kenya’s most skilled off-road drivers in support of environmental conservation.
This year’s annual 4×4 off-road challenge features 65 cars, including Safaricom-sponsored teams EV Explorers led by Richard Kiplagat, AK44 led by Adil Khawaja, and the all-ladies team Zambarau Heels on Wheels.
Competitors will battle it out across three categories: Modified, Super Modified, and Unmodified.
Speaking ahead of the challenge, Adil Khawaja, Team Lead of Car No. 44 (AK44), expressed confidence in both the team’s preparedness and the vehicle’s performance.
In addition, he remained optimistic about defending the team’s title as the event’s top fundraiser.
“The car is in great condition and the entire team is excited and ready to take on the course. I would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors, especially Safaricom and M-PESA, for their tremendous support.
“As defending top fundraisers, we are hopeful of retaining our position while continuing to champion this noble cause of environmental conservation,” said Khawaja.
About Rhino Charge
The Rhino Charge is an annual off-road 4×4 competition held in Kenya that raises funds to support the activities of the Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust.
Rhino Ark is an NGO dedicated to the conservation and protection of Kenya’s mountain range ecosystems, popularly known as the “Water Towers.”
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Readiness and Scrutineering process
According to organizers, necessary measures were taken this year to ensure the stage was fully set for the challenge.
Speaking on the preparations, Rhino Ark Executive Director Christian Lambrechts noted that the process was focused on ensuring that all participating vehicles meet the required standards.
He further confirmed that today’s scrutineering process verified compliance and necessary measures including the security arrangements.
“Today’s scrutineering process was focused on ensuring that all participating vehicles meet the required standards, and I am pleased to confirm that everything is in place, including the necessary security arrangements.
“We are grateful to all our sponsors and partners whose support continues to make this iconic event possible,” said Christian Lambrechts, Executive Director of Rhino Ark.
Major Sponsorship Boost for Rhino Charge
Rhino Charge has received significant sponsorship support of Kshs 114 million from M-PESA Foundation and Safaricom PLC this year.
Out of the total sponsorship, M-PESA Foundation, the social impact arm of Safaricom, committed Ksh 94 million towards supporting Rhino Ark conservation activities.
This includes the fencing and protection of the Mount Elgon Forest (Suam Block), as well as the restoration of the Mau Forest Complex across Narok, Kericho, and Bomet counties.
Safaricom PLC on the other hand, contributed Ksh 20 million towards supporting three participating cars and providing network connectivity during the event.
Under the team support allocation, Car No. 44 received Ksh 15 million, while EV Explorers and Zambarau Heels on Wheels each received Ksh 1 million to support their participation in the challenge.
In addition, Ksh 3 million Has been allocated to network costs.
Highlights from Last Year’s Event
Last year’s event took place at Simo-Soi in Baringo North, raising a total of Ksh 269.5 million.
Adil Khawaja of Car No. 44 (AK44) emerged as the top fundraiser after raising Ksh 139.8 million in support of conservation efforts for Kenya’s critical water towers.
The second-highest fundraising team was Car No. 23, led by Peter Kinyua, which raised Ksh 13.5 million, while Car No. 63, led by Tim Carstens, secured third place with Ksh 8.6 million.
