The Rallye Sports Club round of the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship will start and finish at the Mount Kenya University (MKU) in Thika on Sunday.

 Scrutineering, sealing and marking of components will take place at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.

 While team managers and mechanics will be presenting cars for scrutineering, drivers and navigators will be out on  reconnaissance to familiarise with the route course.

 Part of the highlight for the event is the designated 3.2km spectator stage at the MKU Graduation Pavilion where fans will be allocated parking outside the venue and walk into the designated viewing area. The stage will be repeated twice as SS2 and SS6.

Sports tourism

 The repeat run of 28.48km Ndula stage will be the designated power stage where the top three drivers will earn bonus points towards the championship. 

 Following the lifting of the social gathering ban by the Ministry of Health, organisers of this weekend’s KCB Thika Rally are offering spectators camping opportunities at Kamuthi’s Buffalo Hill stage.

 According to the organisers, anyone willing to catch action at the Buffalo stage should spend the night there where tenting and catering services will be available at a fee.

 Shiri, who is also the WRC Safari Rally Secretary, added that spectators will only be allowed access to the Buffalo stage  a day prior to the raceday.

 “The essence is to avoid spectator traffic on Sunday given the fact that the stage will be live from 8:18am. Otherwise, those coming on Sunday can view action from the pavilion. Rally sport events make up a substantial part of the sports tourism market in the country. Some of Kenya’s biggest sporting events like WRC Safari, provide great opportunities for sports tourism. In terms of tourism development, KNRC events like Thika Rally can be catalysts of economic opportunities, when there is proper use of destination branding and infrastructure development,” Shiri explained.

 The 2021 KNRC has been to Nakuru, Naivasha for both the WRC Safari Rally and ARC Equator Rally, Nanyuki, Ramisi for the Mombasa round and Machakos for the KMSC event.

  Guru Nanak Rally will culminate the nine-leg KNRC season next month.