Why Rhino Charge Remains Africa’s Toughest Off-Road Challenge

The 37^th edition of the Rhino Charge is set to take place tomorrow, Saturday, 30^th May, at Ngilai in Samburu County. The annual 4×4 off-road challenge will feature 65 cars, including Safaricom-sponsored teams EV Explorers led by Richard Kiplagat, AK44 led by Adil Khawaja, and the all-ladies team Zambarau Heels on Wheels.

The competition will feature three categories: Modified, Super Modified, and Unmodified.

This year’s Rhino Charge has received significant sponsorship support of KES 114 million from M-PESA Foundation and Safaricom PLC. Out of the total sponsorship, M-PESA Foundation, the social impact arm of Safaricom, committed KES 94 million towards supporting Rhino Ark conservation activities. This includes the fencing and protection of the Mount Elgon Forest (Suam Block), as well as the restoration of the Mau Forest Complex across Narok, Kericho, and Bomet counties.

Safaricom PLC on the other hand, contributed KES 20 million towards supporting three participating cars and providing network connectivity during the event.

Under the team support allocation, Car No. 44 received KES 15 million, while EV Explorers and Zambarau Heels on Wheels each received KES 1 million to support their participation in the challenge. The remaining KES 3 million caters for network connectivity during the event.

“The car is in great condition and the entire team is excited and ready to take on the course. I would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors, especially Safaricom and M-PESA, for their tremendous support. As defending top fundraisers, we are hopeful of retaining our position while continuing to champion this noble cause of environmental conservation,” said Adil Khawaja, Team Lead, Car No. 44 (AK44).

Last year’s event took place at Simo-Soi in Baringo North, raising a total of KES 269.5 million. Adil Khawaja of Car No. 44 (AK44) emerged as the top fundraiser after raising KES 139.8 million in support of conservation efforts for Kenya’s critical water towers.

The second-highest fundraising team was Car No. 23, led by Peter Kinyua, which raised KES 13.5 million, while Car No. 63, led by Tim Carstens, secured third place with KES 8.6 million.

“The stage is fully set for this year’s Rhino Charge, with 65 car entries ready to take on the challenge. Today’s scrutineering process was focused on ensuring that all participating vehicles meet the required standards, and I am pleased to confirm that everything is in place, including the necessary security arrangements. We are grateful to all our sponsors and partners whose support continues to make this iconic event possible,” said Christian Lambrechts, Executive Director of Rhino Ark.

“This marks our second participation in the Rhino Charge with an electric vehicle, following last year’s historic debut of an EV in the competition. We gained valuable lessons from that experience and have since made significant improvements to the vehicle. As a team, we feel more confident and better prepared for tomorrow’s challenge.,” said Richard Kiplagat, Team Lead, EV Explorers.

The Rhino Charge is an annual off-road 4×4 competition held in Kenya that raises funds to support the activities of the Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust, an NGO dedicated to the conservation and protection of Kenya’s mountain range ecosystems, popularly known as the “Water Towers.”