There are places that I have travelled to and each time I have returned, they have met me differently. These are places you visit and places that stay with you. Samburu belongs firmly to the latter.
Located in Kenya’s northern frontier, Samburu County offers a landscape that feels both ancient and immediate. It is drier than the south, wilder in tone, and less predictable in its beauty. That is precisely its power.
I have travelled north more than once, each journey unfolding in its own way. One time, it was the stillness that stayed with me, the kind that hums beneath your skin long after you leave.
Another, it was the wildlife, emerging quietly from the landscape as though it had always been there, waiting to be noticed. Then there is the light, soft in the morning, unforgiving by noon, and golden in a way that feels almost deliberate as the day winds down.
This time I am travelling “through my mind” in an anticipation that draws me back, because Samburu is about to host one of Kenya’s most extraordinary spectacles of purpose and endurance: the Rhino Charge 2026. Somehow, it feels like the land already knows.
Why Samburu, why now
Each year, the Rhino Charge moves to new landscapes that challenge competitors while expanding its conservation impact. This year, it returns to Samburu, a place that is not easily described but experienced through its wide, open land, visible wildlife, and quiet sense of story in the air.
The terrain is rugged, with rocky outcrops, dry riverbeds, and thick vegetation that makes navigation difficult. It is a demanding landscape, which makes it ideal for the Rhino Charge.
Organisers say Samburu demands respect, as every decision matters in such unforgiving terrain. Beyond the challenge, it is a living conservation area where communities, wildlife, and conservancies coexist, and hosting the event there brings both visibility and opportunity.
“Local economies will feel the immediate impact, from accommodation to supplies to community engagement, with longer-term benefits also taking root through Rhino Ark’s support for projects such as water access, education, and environmental protection,” says Stanley Lekololo, a hotelier.
Rewriting the meaning of a race
Over the years that I have followed the Rhino Charge, I have come to understand that it has never really been about speed. There are no marked tracks, or predictable routes. Only a vast, rugged landscape punctuated by checkpoints, and teams left to decide how best to reach them. Maps become lifelines, coordinates become strategy, and every decision taken carries consequence.
“It is a competition of strategy, not speed, and one is constantly reading the terrain, adjusting your plan, and working as a unit, as the land dictates everything,” Catherine Mandieka, a competitor in this year’s challenge, shared recently during the pre-event briefing in Nairobi.
Catherine and her Ole Nkurunet team, an all-female team will be navigating car No 37. She explains the relationship between land and machine is what defines the Charge. Vehicles are modified, reinforced, and tested beyond ordinary limits.
“Winches, ropes, and ingenuity become as essential as fuel, and teams move not just with power, but with patience, sometimes inching forward, sometimes retreating, always recalibrating,” says the four-wheel-drive champion. However, she notes, beneath that challenge lies a deeper mission.
However, focusing only on the competition misses the bigger picture. The Rhino Charge is as much about people as machines. It is volunteer-driven, with over 70 officials supported by agencies such as the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, as well as sponsors and conservation partners. Medics, marshals, pilots, mechanics, and local community members all work together to keep the event running.
Beyond the logistics are quieter moments; teams studying maps at dawn, shared meals after long days, and conversations that often turn strangers into friends.
Throughout it all, the land remains central. Strict environmental measures like “leave no trace,” controlled access, and carbon offsetting help protect Samburu. Ultimately, the Rhino Charge is not about conquest, but coexistence.
A moment to behold
Between May 29 and 31, Samburu will transform. Scrutineering will open the event, with a careful inspection of vehicles marking readiness for the challenge ahead. The main competition will then unfold in a mix of tension, teamwork, and endurance, before the prize-giving brings closure, at least on the surface.
As the 37th edition returns to Samburu, it raises questions about what it will reveal this time; its quiet moments, its resilience, or the convergence of people, purpose, and place.
Organised by the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, the Rhino Charge began in 1989 as a conservation fundraiser that has grown into one of Africa’s leading environmental events. Teams raise between Sh750,000 and Sh1.5 million or more, turning each kilometer into support for conservation while also building awareness and sponsorship networks.
The region is also rich in wildlife, including the “Special Five” such as the Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe, found in nearby Samburu and Buffalo Springs reserves.
Beyond wildlife, Samburu is shaped by the Samburu community, whose deep connection to the land adds a strong cultural dimension. Hosting the Rhino Charge also supports local development through tourism, schools, water projects, and conservation initiatives.
Overall, the event combines sport, conservation, wildlife, and culture in a remote landscape that rewards patience and reveals its beauty over time.