KBC Channel 1

Author: Dismas Otuke

  • WRC Safari Rally:Ogier still leads after 10 stages

    WRC Safari Rally:Ogier still leads after 10 stages

    Despite tire issues on a harsh Saturday morning worsened  by overnight rain, Sébastien Ogier kept command of Safari Rally Kenya on the morning session of day 3 of this year’s WRC Safari Rally.

    Ogier easily beat  Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Kalle Rovanperä to the top spot in the first Soysambu stage, despite having rear left tyre damage on his GR Yaris.

    Ogier also outpaced Rovanperä by  7.6 seconds.

    “Some sections were very slippery, and I was very cautious, to be honest,” he conceded. “On the last section [of Sleeping Warrior] with the stones, it’s so easy to damage something.”said Ogier

    Elfyn Evans, who also drives a Toyota, was the focus of the morning’s major drama as he was stopped by water splash near the end of Soysambu 1.

    Ogier won the Soysambu 1, before his teammate Rovanpera claimed victory in Elementaita 1 and Sleeping Warrior 1.

    Overall Ogier still maintained the lead after Saturday’s morning session.

    Carl Tundo racing in WRC 2  with Skoda Fabia with his navigator Tim Jessop ,still leads the local drivers at position  15 overall followed by his teammate Akif Viran placed 18th.

  • WRC Safari Rally:Ogier takes lead winning 4 of 6 stages in day 2 action

    WRC Safari Rally:Ogier takes lead winning 4 of 6 stages in day 2 action

    Sebastien Ogier, the 2021 WRC Safari Rally champion, held a commanding lead after the first six stages of the second day of competition in Naivasha.

    The Frenchman, navigated by Vincent Landais, led Toyota to 1, 2, and 3 finishes after completion of 7 out of the 19 stages, registering 1 hour, 14 minutes, and 38.7 seconds, 22 minutes and 8 seconds ahead of Kalle Rovanpera, and 43 minutes and 5 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans.

    “It’s been a good day. Except for the hybrid issue this morning, we had a perfect day, so we can be happy, said Ogier.

    Ogier claimed victory in 4 out of Friday’s 6 stages, including Loldia 1 and 2, Geothermal 2, and Kedong 2, while Rovanperra and Esappeka Lappi shared each win at Geothermal 1 and Kendong 1, respectively.

    “It was quite okay. Quite soft in places with really big holes and stones and stuff, proper Safari-spec. There are a lot of surprises, and it’s a high-speed stage, so it’s not easy.” said Rovanperra

    Esapekka Lappi of the Hyundai SHELL Mobis World Rally Team from Finland finished a distant 4th, followed closely by Toyota’s Katsuta Takamoto.

    However, It was a heartbreak for Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who was forced to pull out in stage 6 after damaging his front left suspension hitting  a compression at the 8km mark.

    Carl Tundo, navigated by Tim Jessop, competing in WRC 2 in a Skoda Fabia, is the best-ranked local driver after 7 stages in 13th place,followed by his team mate Akif Virani and his navigator AzhR Bhatti in 19th position.

    The action will enter day 3 on Saturday with drivers starting at Soysambu 1 from 8am before proceeding to Elementaita 1 then concluding morning session with 31.04KM at Sleeping Warrior before repeating the 3 stages in the afternoon.

    Catch Elementaita 1 and 2 action exclusively on KBC Channel 1 on Saturday.

  • Less pomp and Colour in ‘Vasha’ in day 2 of the WRC Safari Rally

    Less pomp and Colour in ‘Vasha’ in day 2 of the WRC Safari Rally

    This year feels quite a bit different from the previous two WRC Safari Rally events, where many people would queue up along the Naivasha-Eldoret highway to catch a peek of the most anticipated rally event.

    A small group of spectators gathered along the highway to witness the rally vehicles as they left the Wild Life Research Training Institute and drove towards the Loldia, then the next competition stage-Geothermal, and finally the Kedong stage.

    Unlike the last two editions, where many businesses closed to watch the cars, normal business operations were going on at the Central Business District in Naivasha.

    A few we spoke to, some claimed tough economic times as the reason they wouldn’t abandon their businesses to cheer on the rally drivers, while others were not aware of the ongoing rally.

    Less pomp and color was also witnessed along spectator stages, with fewer crowds cheering the action in comparison to the 2021 and 2022 editions.

    After Friday, day 3 action will get underway with Soysambu, Elementaita, and Sleeping Warriors looped stages covering a total of 75.44 km, before culminating on Sunday.

  • Morocco ready for AFCON U 23 opener against Guinea

    Morocco ready for AFCON U 23 opener against Guinea

    Host Morocco beefed up preparations ahead of their 2023 AFCON U 23 group A opener against Guinea this Saturday, June 24th, from 11 p.m. EAT at the Prince Mouley Abdellah stadium in Rabat.

    This year’s championship will also double as the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers, with the best three teams booking tickets for the Paris Game, while the 4th-placed team will navigate through an intercontinental play-off against an Asian opponent.

    Morocco will face Ghana on June 27th before winding up against Congo on June 30.

    Ghana will face Congo in the second group A match on Sunday at 6 p.m. Kenya time.

    Defending champions Egypt will kick off against Niger on Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Ibn Batouta stadium in Tangier City before Mali and Gabon Square it out in a wet African Derby at 11 p.m. Kenyan time.

    It’s the second time the tournament is being held in the North African country after playing host in 2011.

  • WRC Safari Rally:Ogier commands morning session of day 2 action in Naivasha

    WRC Safari Rally:Ogier commands morning session of day 2 action in Naivasha

    The Toyata Gazoo Racing Team dominated the morning session of day 2 of the WRC Safari rally in a 1-2-3 overall finish after the Loldia 1, Geothermal 1, and Kedong 1 stages.

    Sebatien Ogier posted 17 minutes, 4 seconds to navigate through Loldia SS2, 9.8 seconds ahead of teammate Kalle Rovanperra and 11.3 seconds ahead of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.

    Ogier continued his dominance, leading Geothermal 1 SS3 in  23 minutes and 55.6 seconds,in which Toyata controlled the top four positions with Rovanperra,Elfyn Evans, and Katsuta Takamoto following, respectively.

    Ogier still locked out his opponents in the Kendong 1 SS4, accumulating 38 minutes and 77.4 seconds,followed by Rovanperra and Evans in 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively, while Neuville came home 4th.

    The drivers will repeat the 3 morning stages on Friday afternoon to conclude 7 stages of the total 19 in the 2023 WRC Safari rally, the 7th series of this year’s 13 legs.

  • Morocco ready to host AFCON U 23 Championships

    Morocco ready to host AFCON U 23 Championships

    The Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which will also be the 2024 Olympic football qualifiers, will kick off this Saturday in Morocco, which is hosting it for the second time in the 12-year history of the championship.

    The inaugural competition, which also acted as a qualifier for the London 2012 Olympics, was held in Morocco in 2011.

    This year’s competition logo was unveiled in Rabat, Morocco, in a colourful celebration that comprised a trophy in a football player’s hand, representing the pursuit of continental supremacy.

    The green rays of the illustration symbolize the lush green lawns of Africa, while the red displays the passion of the competition.

    Guinea and the hosts, Morocco, will get the competition underway this Saturday, June 24th, at the Prince Mouley Abdellah stadium in Rabat.

    The competition will take place in two stadiums: the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and the Ibn-Batouta Stadium, also known as the Grand Stade de Tanger.

    Group A comprises Morocco, Ghana, Congo, and Guinea, while Group B consists of Egypt, Mali, Gabon, and Niger.

    The top three teams in the AFCON U23 will qualify to represent the continent in next year’s Olympic games in Paris, France.

  • Naivasha accommodation charges hiked ahead of WRC Safari Rally

    Naivasha accommodation charges hiked ahead of WRC Safari Rally

    The majority of hotels in Naivasha towns have increased their rates by almost twofold as visitors pour into the area to watch the 2023 WRC Safari rally, which is scheduled to officially begin on June 22 at Uhuru Park.

    In a spot check by KBC Digital, some hotels that had been charging Ksh 1,500 per night had raised their rates to Ksh 2,500, while others were charging Ksh 4,000, up from Ksh 2,000 per night.

    The renowned Airbnb, which had been going for ksh 6,000, are now charging ksh 10,000 a night.

    When the WRC Safari Rally drivers move to Naivasha and its surrounding areas on Friday, some restaurant owners predict that prices will increase even more.

  • Kenya FIA rally drivers confident ahead of Safari rally Vroom

    Kenya FIA rally drivers confident ahead of Safari rally Vroom

    Kenyan FIA rally stars McRae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar, and Jeremiah Wahome are full of confidence ahead of this year’s WRC Safari Rally, to be flagged off today, June 22, 2023, at Uhuru Park in Nairobi.

    Having been part of the program for the single-car (Ford Fiesta Rally3) category of WRC3, the trio will be looking to conquer the challenging Naivasha route course, which will be headlined by Priority 1 World Rally Teams and WRC2 Rally Two (the former Rally5 marques) entrants.

    Speaking after yesterday’s shakedown, Hamza Anwar said: “Once again, as a team, we are delighted to participate in this big stage rally event. It’s an amazing milestone. For three years, we have partnered with Safaricom on this project and have grown immensely as a team. My car is in good condition, and I hope to give it my best. We promise to make Kenyans proud by posting a 1-2-3 podium clean sweep in Rally3.”

    As part of Safaricom’s sustainability agenda, the telco and rally stars also participated in a tree-planting initiative held yesterday at the Wildlife Research & Training Institute to mark the 70th anniversary of Safari Rally, with 7,000 trees planted so far.

    This is the third year in a row that the FIA youngsters will be participating in the WRC Safari Rally after successfully taking part in the last two events. Last year, Jeremiah Wahome and Mc Rae Kimathi finished in second and third positions, respectively, under the WRC 3 category and in 30th and 32nd positions overall.

    Kenya will also be represented by four lady drivers led by KBC’s veteran New anchor, Pauline Sheghu, who is sponsored by the state broadcaster.

    Safari rally defending champion and series leader Kalle Ronaperra from Finland led yesterday’s 5.4-kilometer shakedown in Loldia,followed by Ott Tanak and Sebastien Ogier in 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively.

  • EU-Morocco Agricultural Agreement: French Justice System Dismisses Farmers’ Union Pro-polisario

    EU-Morocco Agricultural Agreement: French Justice System Dismisses Farmers’ Union Pro-polisario

    The Confédération Paysanne (Peasant Confederation), a French trade union group involved in the judicial harassment of the agricultural agreement between Morocco and the EU, was condemned by the Court of Tarascon in a ruling.

    This represents a new legal setback for the “polisario” and its French relays.

    Just a few weeks ago, the High Court in London imposed a judicial disallowance on Polisario sympathizers in the UK.

    This most recent disallowance from the French judiciary follows shortly after.

    IDYL, a French company that specializes in the marketing of fruit and vegetables from Morocco, including the Southern Provinces, was the target of the Confédération Paysanne’s action, which sought to have it declared legally guilty (with penalty payments and damages for alleged harm), and to stop IDYL from disseminating its products.

  • Rovanpera revs off first as President Ruto flags off WRC Safari rally

    Rovanpera revs off first as President Ruto flags off WRC Safari rally

    Defending champion and series leader Kalle Rovanperra of Finland, navigated by Jonne Halttunen in a Toyota Gazoo car number 169M, was the first car to be flagged off in the 2023 WRC Safari Rally shakedown at the Naivasha service park early Wednesday.

    Thierry Neuville, representing the Hyundai SHELL Mobis world rally team navigated by Martin Waideghe, was 2nd off the ram in car number 211M, followed by MSport Ford world rally team’s Ott Tanak with his navigator Martin Jarveoja in 3rd position.

    President William Ruto flagged off the Naivasha shakedown and challenged more local drivers, especially women, to register for next year’s edition.

    “This is a very exciting moment, not just for Naivasha but for Kenya as a country, as the Safari Rally marks 70 years,”said President Ruto

    “I am happy that KBC will beam it live to Kenyans and the world amd congratulations to you.”added president Ruto

    “I have always watched the rally as a spectator, but I haven’t gotten the opportunity to see it and test it,i think this yearI will try it on teh wheels” concluded the President.

    Karan Patel, navigated by Tauseef Khan in a Ford Fiesta, was the first Kenyan driver to be flagged off during the shakedown by President Ruto in position 25, followed by Skoda Fabia’s Carl Tundo, navigated by Tim Jessop.

    The president later flagged off the Loldia shake down which is a 5.40KM distance.

    Both Patel and Tundo will compete in the rally 2 category in this year’s championship, which will be flagged off officially on June 22 at Uhuru Park, before drivers head to the Super Special Kasarani stage, where cars will go head-to-head over a 4.8-kilometer distance.

    The second day of the competition, on the 23rd, will see drivers compete over three stages: Loldia, Geothermal, and Kedong, covering a total of 63.62km repeated.

    On June 24, cars will compete over 75.44km in Soysambu,Elmentaita, Sleeping Warrior, Malewa,oserian and end at Hellsgate with the loop repeated.

    On Sunday, June 5, the competition will head to Malewa, Oserian, and Hellsgate, with the stages repeated before the award ceremony.

    This is the 3rd edition of the Safari rally since it was reinstated in the World Rally Championship calender and the 7th leg of the 13 series this year.

    KBC Channel 1 will beam the event live .