SAFETY PLAN FOR MERU RALLY

With an altitude of approximately 1700meters, the hills around Mt. Kenya region will reverberate with the roar of turbo-charged machines when the Rallye Sports Club (RSC)-organized KCB Simba Saving Rally moves to Meru and Maua on June 25-26.

Dave Macharia, the RSC Chairman sounded quite febrile in the wake of a rigorous route survey saying arrangements are in top gear to engage locals in the comprehensive safety plan before and during the event.        

“We have spent some considerable time interacting with the locals every week we surveyed the route. The essence is to reach out to as many locals as possible and educate them on what safety procedures entail both physically and by means of local FM radio stations like Muuga FM. So far, we have gotten quite some good support from regular policemen, Administration Police, boda boda riders and students from the Technical institute in Meru who we plan to use as marshals in the sections to block off the roads,” said Dave.

The RSC event is one of the most unique rounds in the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC), calendar which keeps changing its route course every year.

The event, co-sponsored iWay Africa, Identisys, Highlands waters and National Oil Corporation, makes up the fourth round of the eighth leg KCB KNRC. It has seven stages in total.

Dave added that the rally could be a somewhat one tight for beginners; given the steep ascents and descents of the escarpments around the area. 

 “The choice of terrain is actually very technical with no flat-out stages preferred. It’s a matter of climbing up and down the hills, some rivers to cross and endless twisty stretches. It’s actually a navigator event. Apart from the stage designated at Maua in Igembe area, the rest of the sections will run entirely along the Meru-Nkubu road,” Macharia, who is also the Director of rallying at KMSF, said.     

The rally will be flagged off outside the Meru KCB Branch at 2Pm on Friday, June 25 with cars heading straight to Meru ASK Showground for a 2.4km spectator stage at 3Pm. The overnight perc ferme is designated at Meru Municipal Council.

Rally proper starts on Saturday, June 26 heading straight to CS1, a 21Km section based in Maua, before moving to CS2- which is a designated 1.2KM spectator stage inside Nkubu Stadium.

The CS3 (13.5Km) runs from Nkubu Hospital to the Airstrip. CS4 (14.1KM) is an open stage which starts from the Airstrip going all the way to Ndururumo .