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2022 WRC Safari Rally Kenya - Everything You Need Know

The 2022 WRC Safari Rally is back in Kenya for the 69th season. The four-day event kicked off today at the KICC (Kenyatta International Conference Center) at the heart of Nairobi, City, in the presence of Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta.
2022 WRC Safari Rally 12 photos
Photo: WRC/Safari Rally Kenya/NTV Kenya/KCB Group/Brian Kigen
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The World Rally Championship is back in Africa as Safari Rally Kenya hosts the 6th round of the 2022 season from 23rd to 26th June. The championship returned to Kenya following a 19-year absence.

The Safari rally poses one of the toughest challenges in auto motorsports. Forget the scenic views, picturesque Great Rift Valley, and exotic wildlife. The tracks are torrid and torturous.

Last held in 2002, the motorsports crews will battle challenging dirt roads and rocky and rutted tracks with the possibility of wadding through muddy bogs after forecasts cited heavy rain and thunderstorms from Thursday afternoon.

2022 WRC Safari Rally Kick Off
Photo: Twitter/@RealGich
The official flag-off occured at the Kenyatta International Conference Center, right at the city's heart. The drivers gave city residents a glimpse of what the weekend has to offer, bolting on a two-at-a-time Super Special sprint (4.84 kilometers/ 3 miles) to the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani, north of the city.

After that, the drivers and teams will head back 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the Kenya Wildlife Training Institute service park in Naivasha. The weekend event consists of 19 stages covering an estimated distance of 363.44 kilometers (226 miles). A third of the stage distance is newfangled for the 2022 fixture, a welcome challenge for the crews.

On Wednesday, teams participated in a 5.4 km (3.3 miles) shakedown that saw FIA World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanpera set the pace, a whisker, ahead of close title challenger Thiery Neuville driving a Hyundai i20 N.

On Friday, the leg will stretch through scenic lake Naivasha's north and south regions. It starts with Loldia, a 19.17 km (11.91 mi) stretch, then Geothermal 11.68 km (7.25 mi), followed by a new stage characterized by a climb over rock-lined hills. The most anticipated, Kedong, 31.25 km (19.41 mi), is the longest stretch in the event, making a combined total of 124.20 km (77.17 mi).

2022 WRC Safari Rally
Photo: Pirelli Motorsport
On Saturday, the leg begins with Soysambu at 29.32 km (18.21 mi), stretching further than last year. The drivers will gust over Elementaita 15.08 km (9.37 mi), followed by Sleeping Warrior (landmark hill that looks like a Maasai Warrior lying down) 31.04 km (19.28 mi). The drivers will repeat these stages for a second time after service.

The Sunday final consists of three stages on the southern side of Lake Naivasha, each repeated twice. They include Oserian 17.93 km (11.14 mi), Hell's Gate 10.53 km (6.54 mi), and Sandwich Narasha ( a new challenge rising from the floor of the Great Rift Valley through the historic Maasai grazing fields 13.30 km (8.26 mi).

The second pass stretches through Hell's Gate and ends at the scenic Fish Tower, which forms the Wolf Power Stage (bonus points for drivers and manufacturers, according to WRC).
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About the author: Humphrey Bwayo
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Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life.
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