Debutant Kinoti hopes to leave a mark in Naivasha

The third leg of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC), the Safari Rally in Naivasha, is getting hotter by the day for debutant drivers, but there is one speedster who is determined to reach the finish line today.

Kenyan driver Timothy Kinoti is showing grit and resilience in his first attempt in the global motorsports’ showpiece where he is aiming, with his Ugandan co-driver Mildred Kibuuka, to complete the journey and return the car in one piece.

The duo has waded through hills, rocks and valleys in the various stages being contested on the rough terrains of Naivasha to keep their hope for their dream alive in the championship.

They are conquering the rally on a self-made Toyota Runx 2WD car which they hope will give them a respectable finish in the national category of the WRC Safari Rally showdown.

Kinoti, who doubles up as an academic researcher and impact evaluator at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, hopes to upgrade their car into a formidable machine to help them forage for great titles in the WRC Safari Rally in the future.

“Our competition in this rally would not have been possible without our sponsors Galana Energies. Rally is a very expensive affair and taking part in a WRC approved event is even costlier, that’s why we appreciate this support that came handy as we were preparing for our debut in the Safari,” Kinoti told Standard Sports.

“Our plan is to go for other categories including the WRC3, WRC2, the ARC and even the main Safari Rally title in the next five years, of course with the great help from our current sponsors,” he said.

On Friday, the Arkadios Motorsport Team driver was honoured to lead local and international stars in fueling and servicing their road warriors at the Galana Energies Malewa Petrol Station ahead of the day’s contest that traversed and snaked through Camp Moran (31.4km), Loldia (19.11km), Kengen Geothermal (13.18km) and Kedong (15.10km) with the similar loop being repeated in the afternoon.

“I felt honoured to guide the world beaters on this initiative. Fuelling zones play a very critical role in the WRC, they serve as designated areas where teams and drivers keep their cars running at peak performance. These pit stops are fast paced, as teams ensure they finish the race in the shortest time,” he said. 

Kinoti’s sentiments were echoed by WRC Representative Charles Mbatia who said:“We selected Galana Energies’ Malewa station to fuel the cars owing to its strategic location, and facilities to support the demands of the racing teams.

“We appreciate the support we have received from local firms who have not only provided their facilities to us but also support local talent contributing to the growth of this sport.”

Sharon Bachia, Head of Marketing at Galana Energies, expressed the firm’s enthusiasm saying: “We are thrilled to be selected as the only fueling zone for Day 2 of the WRC Safari rally.

“It shows our commitment to provide quality service which is not only acknowledged locally but internationally too.

“Furthermore, we are looking forward to seeing how our partners, the Arkadios Motorsport Team perform during this weekend’s WRC Safari Rally. We are proud to be associated with such an outstanding team that is driving to bridge the gap between experienced drivers and upcoming talent in rally racing. Our commitment to energise Kenya’s future is evident in this partnership and our commitment to Keep Moving.”

Asked how they prepared for the rally, Kinoti said:“We ensured we had a proper car for the championship. We also worked on our mental toughness ahead of the grueling journey.

“We also watched our diets, like for now we are keeping off alcohol until the competition is over. This helps us to manage dehydration which normally takes a toll on drivers behind the wheel.

“We have also mastered the art of being calm behind the wheel that usually has a lot of tension. So far so good, we are happy with our timing in the national (KNRC) category.”