Monday, 19, October, 2009: A total of 46 vehicles have entered the fourth edition of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally to be held next month.
This year’s rally has attracted participants from 16 different countries.
The national airline has invested Kshs 11.3 million (US$ 150,000) to sponsor the event inscribed in the Federation of International Automobile (FIA) events calendar and scheduled to take place between November 22, 2009 and December 1, 2009.

The rally will cover a total distance of about 4000 kilometers and is open to cars manufactured prior to 1974. The vehicles will drive from Mombasa, Taita, Arusha, Amboseli, Naivasha and back to Mombasa.

“Kenya Airways is happy to support the East African Safari Classic Rally having been partners from the first classic rally event in 2003. I want to say that Kenya Airways has always supported the Safari Rally throughout its 58-year history in one way or the other,” Mr Dick Omondi, Kenya Airways Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications said. 

This rally is a tool for marketing travel for motor sports tourism and creating opportunities for travel agents, tour operators, oil dealers and automobile investors to interact, showcase their products and services as well as conduct business. Kenya Airways and the East African Safari Rally Limited are also offering a “Rally Package Tour” to visit and watch the event.

Kenya and Tanzania are world's leading countries in tourism which will be boosted by the Kenya Airways East African Classic Safari Rally which has so injected Kshs 122 million (US$ 1,500,000) into the economies of the two countries in terms hotel bookings, car rental, helicopter hire and airtickets.

Ian Duncan, former winner of the Safari Rally will spearhead the local interest driving a Ford Mustang with other drivers being Stefano Rocca in a Datsun 240Z, Aslam Khan in a Ford Escort, Marzio Kravos in a Mercedes 450SLC and Ben Muchemi in a Datsun 260Z.

Others are former event leader Gerard Marcy of Belgium at Car No. 1 in a Tuthill Porsche, Steve Perez from UK, Andrew Siddall from UK,Paul-Eric Jarry from Morocco, Martin Agguire from Phillipines and Jeff Amin from USA.  
The event will be covered by a team of international and local press including TV stations and will send reports using Access Kenya’s new fibre optic systems.