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Edwin Otieno

Construction of facilities for next week’s World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally at the competition’s Service Park in Naivasha is nearing completion with the new Presidential Pavilion a standout feature.

It will be the first time in 19 years that Kenya and Africa in general will be hosting the global event which is tipped to pump in around Sh 6 million into the Kenyan economy.

The Service Park is located at the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute in Naivasha and will be the nerve centre of the June 24 to 27 rally.

Chairmania Events Limited are handling the setting up of tents and other facilities with the company’s Managing Director, Charles Kanyi, confident that the work is on track.

The Presidential Pavilion is one of the huge legacy projects by the WRC Safari Rally and will be used for other high-profile events and ceremonies after the rally.

World governing body the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and WRC Promoter have seconded Portugal’s Miguel Fonseca to help with media operations at the rally.

Fonseca arrived in Naivasha on Sunday and has been working with the local media team to ensure the Media Centre and Media Zone along with Media Points along the six sections of the rally.

More officials from the FIA and WRC communications department are expected in Nairobi from Monday, led by Vera Dussausaye, the FIA Communications Manager and WRC Media Delegate.

“We have so far gone through the accreditation requests and will be finalizing the final accreditation lists for both local and international media in conjunction with Vera and the WRC team,” Peter Njenga, the WRC Safari Rally Media Director, said yesterday.

Fonseca, who heads media operations at Rally Portugal, is currently on a recce of the entire route besides overseeing the development of the Media Centre in the company of the Safari’s media safety officer Anwar Sidi.

Fonseca expressed his excitement at the work done so far by the local organizing committee during an update tour of the Media Centre in the company of Media Centre Manager Fondo Nzovu.