By Elias Makori, Managing Editor
The Safari Rally’s stay in the World Rally Championship (WRC) should be confirmed later today (Thursday), ending months of tense speculation over the future of the Kenyan round following the withdrawal of State funding after this year’s edition.
With official 2027 WRC calendar scheduled for release any time today, Pura Vida Sports Africa has reliably learnt that the Safari Rally will maintain its March slot as the third round of the WRC after the Monte-Carlo and Sweden rallies.
This follows a spirited battle by the Safari Rally leadership, headed by CEO and rally veteran Carl “Flash” Tundo, to thrown in a commercial life vest that should see the iconic Kenyan event stay afloat and firmly on the global calendar for the next five years.
Laughing all the way!: Multiple African Rally Champion Carl Tundo appears to have engineered a historic commercial rescue package to secure the future of Kenya’s iconic Safari Rally. (Photo / Elias Makori)
The 2027 WRC calendar will kick off with the 95th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo from January 18 to January 24, with the competitive stages running from Thursday, January 21 to Sunday, January 24.
It will be followed by Rally Sweden, which is penciled for February 18 to 21, 2027, with festivities kicking off on Wednesday evening, February 17 around Umea Service Park (Nolia), Red Barn Arena, and Radhustorget in central Umea.
Five-year Contract Extension
Last month, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi stated that a bid for a five-year contract extension has been submitted and that they are planning for a March, 2027, Safari.
The overall 2027 WRC calendar announcement has been delayed largely due to uncertainty surrounding the Safari Rally, this following President William Ruto’s declaration that the event must now transition completely away from public funding to a private-sector corporate model, a shift Tundo termed as “the most logical way forward.”
“I think it should have been done a long side ago. It takes away the government burden of having to fund the event and makes it more efficient under the private sector,” Tundo, a four-time Safari Rally champion, reacted.
This year’s edition of the Safari Rally was heavily corporate-funded with about Sh400 million injected with KCB Bank Kenya giving Sh227 million, Kenya Breweries Limited Sh45 million and CFAO Mobility Kenya Sh48.5 million.
Carl Tundo: 'Private-sector funding takes away the government burden of having to fund the event and makes it more efficient under the private sector.' (Photo / State Department of Sports)
While the FIA and WRC Promoter have shown their desire to keep the historic Kenyan round on the schedule, they required absolute financial and funding guarantees from Kenya's newly proposed private sector "special purpose vehicle" before officially locking in the slot.
Fears of the Safari’s future were further compounded with other global contenders being actively discussed as potential replacements if Kenya failed to secure its financial backing in time.
Private-sector Funding Model
Well-placed sources indicate that the Safari Rally is now transitioning entirely to a private-sector funding model, details of which will be clear after the calendar announcement this afternoon.
WRC Promoter Chief Operating Officer Julien Vial and FIA Road Sport Director Emilia Abel made it clear that the championship needs absolute clarity and funding certainty to finalize the schedule.
An aggressive influx of new venues eager for a slice of the 14-round WRC roster has seen Aberdeen-based Rally Scotland locked in for an autumn 2027 slot, complete with a newly unveiled identity and a major three-year broadcasting deal with the BBC.
Toyota's Elfyn Evans cruises to the 2026 WRC Drivers' title at Sardinia last weekend. Toyota will be looking to, once again, dominate the Safari Rally in March, 2027. (Photo / WRC)
Rally USA has also been building significant momentum after successfully concluding its FIA candidate assessment in Tennessee and Kentucky with new rounds like Rome replacing Sardinia and heavy interest from regions like Argentina.
Structural Guarantees
The Safari Rally's survival was pegged on its ability to finalize commercial partnerships and deliver structural guarantees before to the WRC, guarantees that appear to have been well received by the WRC Promoter.
The contract extension announced today will be the biggest after the January 23, 2022, four-year contract signed by then Sports Cabinet Secretary at the time, Amina Mohammed, and WRC Promoter Managing Director then, Jona Siebel.
The signing ceremony, held at Monte Carlo’s Automobile Club of Monaco, was one of the longest-ever contracts signed by the WRC Promoter, global rallying’s commercial and marketing arm.
With another contract extension in the offing, African motorsports enthusiasts are ready to celebrate the Safari Rally’s survival.
(Main Photo: Timo Anis Photography. More to follow…)
