This archive report was first published on 24 June 2021.
On June 24, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off the cars at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) for the World Rally Championships.
Adelle Onyango, the wife of Paras Pandya, expressed excitement for the event, saying, "I may not understand rally manenos well but I understand the months of hard work they’ve put in for this specific World Rally Championships."
Paras Pandya, a co-driver, and his navigator Falgun are racing in a Mitsubishi Evolution X. They have been meticulously preparing for the event, fine-tuning their car at the BHP Performance workshop in Nairobi.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is the tenth and last generation of the Lancer Evolution, known for its advanced all-wheel-drive system.
However, in 2017, Mitsubishi decided to stop production of the Lancer and shifted its focus to crossovers and SUVs, as well as electric and hybrid powertrains.
Adelle helped her husband prepare for the big day overnight, spending last night at KICC where the cars were being unloaded.
Paras and Falgun have been a formidable team, conquering the local circuit and finishing 1st place in Group N, 1st place in division 1, and 6th place overall in the recent Kenya National Rally Championships.
They are looking forward to brushing shoulders with top drivers like Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Kasuta, Thierry Neuville, and Ott Tanak, although they are not eligible to compete in the same category.
The Safari Rally will cover routes along the southern shore of Lake Naivasha, Chui Lodge, and Oserien, with the longest stage at 32.68km.
The government has warned that Covid-19 safety measures will be enforced, and curfew time should still be observed.
