By Chemtai Kirui | NAIVASHA | March 11, 2026

 

As the dust begins to settle on the service park at the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) in Naivasha, the fabled WRC Safari Rally is preparing to undergo its most significant transformation since returning to the global calendar in 2021. For the 2026 edition, which officially flags off Thursday, the spectacle has traded the ceremonial urban buzz of Nairobi for a concentrated, high-intensity challenge based exclusively in the Great Rift Valley.

 

At the heart of the local interest are the 2023 National Rally Champions, Jasmeet and Ravinder Chana. The siblings, long-time veterans of the domestic circuit, are embarking on their most ambitious campaign yet: a full-scale assault on the WRC2 category behind the wheel of a newly commissioned Ford Fiesta Rally2.

 

The Chanas’ move from their venerable Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X to the sophisticated M-Sport-engineered Fiesta Rally2 represents the high cost of ambition in modern rallying. Backed by Rubis Castrol, the team has spent the last week collaborating with M-Sport engineers to fine-tune the car’s electronic dynamics for the “fesh-fesh” sand of Kedong and the high-speed savannah of Sleeping Warrior.

 

“As a Kenyan driver, my aim is to win my class; anything beyond that would be a bonus,” Jasmeet Chana said ahead of the shakedown. “Running the Safari is costly, and the support of the private sector makes the difference between starting and staying at home.”

 

The brothers are part of a more than 40-crew entry list that includes 18 Kenyan drivers. They will face a formidable local field, including national champion Samman Vohra and double African champion Karan Patel, alongside European specialists like Gus Greensmith and Robert Virves.

 

The 2026 Safari Rally also marks a pivotal shift in the event’s governance. In a move described by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya as a “monumental realization of strategic vision,” the government has handed the private sector the lead role in the rally’s coordination and execution.

 

This commercialization strategy—aimed at easing the state’s annual financial commitment—has seen major injections from local industry. KCB Bank has committed Sh227 million, while CFAO Mobility and Kenya Airways have bolstered the logistics and transport framework. The goal is to prove the Safari can exist as a self-sustaining sports-tourism engine, with organizers expecting thousands of regional visitors this week.

 

Unlike the high-speed tarmac of Monte Carlo or the snow-packed stages of Sweden, the Safari remains a contest of “car preservation.” The 2026 route covers 350.02 kilometers of competitive distance across 20 special stages.

 

The threat of heavy March rains looms over the Great Rift, with the potential to turn the clay-rich soil into a “mud bath” within minutes. For drivers like the Chanas, success in WRC2 will depend less on flat-out speed and more on navigating the “rocks hidden in the grass” and the unpredictable wildlife of the Soysambu Conservancy.

 

As the current hosting agreement runs through 2026, the stakes for the organizers are as high as they are for the drivers. 

 

President William Ruto’s administration is currently at the negotiating table with the FIA and WRC Promoter for a long-term extension beyond 2026.

 

For Jasmeet and Ravinder Chana, the next four days are more than just a race; they are a test of whether Kenyan privateers can still bridge the gap between local grit and global engineering. As the engines roar to life for Thursday’s opening shakedown at the Nawisa Spectator Arena, the “Vasha Dust” will once again determine the hierarchy of the world’s toughest rally.