The Kenyan Ministry of Sports has confirmed a new strategic partnership with the private sector for the sixth edition of the WRC Safari Rally 2026, to ensure uninterrupted preparations. Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya stated that the agreement aims to reduce the government's financial burden in hosting global events. The event is scheduled for Naivasha from March 12-15.
The Ministry of Sports has announced that it has signed a new agreement allowing the private sector to take the leading role in coordinating the WRC Safari Rally 2026. In a statement on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said the agreement is aimed at reducing the government's financial burden in hosting global events. "While this landmark partnership heralds a new era for motorsport in Kenya, it will significantly ease the Government’s annual financial commitment to the WRC event," Mvurya stated.
"In this regard, I wish to reassure Kenyans, stakeholders, partners, and motorsport fans that preparations for the WRC Safari Rally 2026 have been finalised, and our country is fully ready to host yet another thrilling global motorsport spectacle," he added.
The CEO and other officers serving in the WRC Safari Rally Project Secretariat have been reassigned back to the Ministry of Sports to continue their roles until the event. Mvurya is optimistic that the new framework will be fundamental in ensuring the full commercialisation of the country’s sports and sporting assets, in line with President William Ruto’s strategic vision to spur economic growth.
Since Kenya's return to the World Rally Championship calendar in 2021, the government has been taking a leading role in coordinating the event through a WRC Safari Rally Project Secretariat. The state was overseeing planning, security, infrastructure upgrades, logistics, and payment of the annual promoter’s fee to the WRC rights holder, functions that will now be transferred to the private sector. Previously, corporate sponsors and private firms were involved in areas such as branding, hospitality, and local logistics, playing a more supportive role.
The event is set to be held in Naivasha, a town that has become synonymous with the iconic motorsport over the years, due to scenic landscapes and expansive rally routes that provide an ideal environment to test the prowess of rally drivers. For years, the event has stood out as a major tourist attraction, attracting thousands of visitors from Kenya and across the world, in turn boosting the local economy.
