NAIROBI, Kenya, May 15 – Kenya’s motorsport sensation, Amaan Ganatra, has secured corporate sponsorship ahead of the 2026 season, with JCB GPE, Royal Enfield Kenya, Chinese motorcycle brand Kove, and Godrej, the lifting equipment company throwing their collective weight behind the teenager.
The deal sets the stage for what promises to be the most ambitious and wide-ranging campaign of his career to date, one that will see him compete across multiple disciplines both at home and in Britain.
Suhhel Yakub, Sales Manager at Ganatra Plant and Equipment, said the sponsorship is a testament to the Group’s solid Motorsport and talent development.
“JCB and Royal Enfield are precision brands built on performance and reliability, and that is exactly what Amaan delivers in Motorsport. It made complete sense for us to formalise that alignment going into 2026,” said Yakub, who added that the partnership was as much about shared values as it was about commercial visibility.
The 17-year-old will fly the colours of all four brands across his full programme this year, powering a Mitsubishi Evo 9 in a motorsport campaign expected to span the national autocross championship, local Motorsport Kenya outings, and a continued assault on the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship, where he made history as the first Kenyan to take pole position in a qualifying heat last season.
Kove, the Chinese adventure motorcycle manufacturer making rapid inroads into African markets, completes the trio alongside JCB Kenya and Royal Enfield Kenya, adding a compelling international commercial dimension to the package. Together, the four brands show strong industry confidence in Ganatra’s ability to deliver on the circuit.
Their support shows that the Kenyan motorsport scene is gaining recognition as a credible, high-profile platform for manufacturer engagement on the continent.
Amaan enters 2026 as Kenya’s most decorated junior driver ahead of this weekend’s Auto X plus Action, slated to take place at Stoni Athi resort on Sunday, May 17.
He wrapped up the 2025 Shell Autocross Championship with top honours in the 4WD Restricted category.
This title capped a dominant season in which he and navigator Mudasar Chaudry consistently set the pace at venues across the country. The season finale at Stoni Athi Resort in November, attended by a large, passionate crowd, left no doubt about who commanded the premier four-wheel-drive class on the national stage.
His credentials extend well beyond Kenyan borders. In 2022, Amaan became the first Kenyan to compete in the European Autocross Championship.
Two years later, still only 15 years old, he became the first Kenyan to secure pole position in the qualifying heats of the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship, turning heads at the storied Lydden Hill Circuit in England with drives that left seasoned British observers and race purists reaching for superlatives.
Earlier this year, the 254 Motorsports Club’s Shell Motorsport Excellence Awards recognised his 4WD Restricted championship title at a high-profile black-tie ceremony that brought together Kenya’s full motorsport community, held in the days immediately after the WRC Safari Rally Kenya.
Speaking ahead of the new season, Amaan was direct about what he intends to achieve.
“This is the season I want to make a real statement. Having JCB, Royal Enfield, Godrej, and Kove on board gives me the confidence to push harder and aim higher. Last year, I proved I could compete at the front. This year I want to win consistently, across all disciplines,” he said.
Kenya’s motorsport calendar in 2026 promises to be among the most competitive in recent memory. The WRC Safari Rally Kenya returns to a packed schedule.
At the same time, the national autocross series, carrying Shell’s title sponsorship, has grown considerably in stature and ambition since the 254 Motorsports Club revamped the format.
With this support package now confirmed, Amaan Ganatra is well-placed to be a dominant presence across multiple disciplines throughout the year.
With strong corporate confidence, a track record of firsts, and a family legacy woven deep into the fabric of Kenyan motoring, the young Ganatra heads into the new season in exactly the right place at exactly the right time to deliver.
