NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 23 – As one of the WRC Safari Rally Kenya legacy, Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage Amina Mohamed led a high-powered delegation in planning trees at the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute in Naivasha on the eve of the ARC Equator event.
Planting trees, which is referred as the Greening project is one of the three WRC Safari Rally legacies with the other two being Safety and community empowerment through promoting coffee famers.
The target is to plant 19 million trees across the country with the FIA president John Todt launching the project by planting the first tree in November last year.
“Thanks to the Secretariat of Safari and the CEO (Phineas Kimathi), we intend to plant 19 million trees to mark the 19 years we are out of the Safari Rally.” Amina said.
“I am happy that there are young drivers coming up in the rally; a clear indication that the sport is sustainable. What I can say at this juncture is that the future is bright for motorsports in Kenya. I am also excited to see the numbers of ladies drivers increasing in the sport,” Amina, who was speaking after the Ceremonial Start of the FIA ARC Equator Rally in Naivasha, added.
The Sports CS conveyed a message of encouragement from President Kenyatta who is the patron of the WRC Safari Rally project which he has given his full support saying the Government will go to great lengths to ensure the WRC is a success.
“We are leaving nothing to chance to make sure Safari lives up to its reputation as a world class event.” Amina said, adding: “Safari has always been at the heart of Kenyans as part of our heritage and can’t be removed from our legacy.”
Amina reiterated that the young generation will remember the Safari the way they used to during their heydays when is used to be held during the Easter holiday.
“We need to ensure all is well in this ARC event because the world is now watching. What the organizers of Equator Rally have done is commendable, they have maintained a very high level of determination, they have come out and performed well. I am convinced that this will bode very, very well for the WRC event in June.”
Dr. Amina was accompanied to the tree planting event by the two Chief Administration Secretaries for Sports, Cultures and Heritage Zack Kinuthia and Hon. Simon Kachapin as well as the WRC Safari Rally CEO and Kenya Motor Sports Federation chairman Phineas Kimathi.
