Kenya will remain on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar in 2027 after the championship confirmed a record 15-round season that includes Safari Rally Kenya.
The announcement ends months of uncertainty over the future of the iconic Kenyan event, whose current five-year hosting agreement was due to expire after the 2026 edition.
Safari Rally Kenya will take place from March 18 to 21, 2027, serving as the third round of the championship. It will follow Rallye Monte-Carlo, Monaco in January and Rally Sweden in February.
President William Ruto welcomed the development on Thursday, October 8, confirming that Kenya had secured another appearance on the global motorsport calendar.
“The Safari Rally stays home. I am delighted to confirm that Kenya will host the WRC Safari Rally in 2027,” he wrote.
The President added, “Once again, the world’s finest drivers will take on our plains, our valleys and the legendary roads of Naivasha.”
Ruto said Safari Rally’s continued presence on the WRC calendar reflected the event’s long-standing history and importance to Kenya.
He thanked the Ministry of Sports, the WRC Safari Rally Project, private-sector partners, the FIA and the WRC Promoter for their role in securing the 2027 event.
The latest calendar represents a major expansion for the WRC, with the championship increasing from 14 rounds in 2026 to 15 in 2027. Kenya will be followed by Croatia, the Canary Islands and Japan before the championship heads to Greece and Italy.
The 2027 season will also feature the return of the United States and United Kingdom, with a new Rally US scheduled for August 26-29 and Rally Scotland set for September 30-October 3. Italy will move from Sardinia to Rome for an asphalt event in July, while Portugal has been dropped from the calendar.
The 2027 championship will mark the beginning of a new technical era for the WRC, with the WRC27 regulations coming into effect and changes aimed at increasing competition and attracting more cars to the top category.
For Kenya, retaining the Safari Rally is significant both as a motorsport achievement and as a boost to the country's international sporting profile, with Naivasha remaining at the centre of the event.
Kenya made its return to the WRC calendar in 2021 following a 19-year absence, initially securing a place in the championship through 2026 under an agreement with the FIA.
The latest confirmation comes as the government prepares to transition the Safari Rally to a new funding and management model, with greater reliance on private-sector support.
During the closing ceremony of the 2026 Safari Rally in March, President Ruto announced that the edition would be the final one to receive direct public funding. From 2027, the government plans to shift the financing of the iconic rally to the private sector as part of efforts to make the event more commercially sustainable.
The government said funds previously allocated to promoting and supporting the Safari Rally would instead be channelled towards school sports and other sporting activities across the country.
The transition also saw Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya appoint renowned Kenyan rally driver Carl Tundo as Chief Executive Officer of the WRC Safari Rally Project in June.
Tundo, a four-time Safari Rally winner, was tasked with helping steer the project as Kenya seeks to strengthen the event's commercial model and secure its long-term position on the international motorsport calendar.
The changes are expected to place greater emphasis on private investment, sponsorship and commercial partnerships as Kenya continues to host one of Africa's most prominent motorsport events.
