Rhino Charge 2024 reveals the venue

(Posted 29th May 2024)

Torosei, located in lakes Natron and Magadi landscape in Kajiado County, is the venue of the 35th edition of the Rhino Charge, Kenya’s unique off-road competition that raises funds for environmental conservation.

Until the highly anticipated announcement yesterday in the form of route notes released to competing cars, sponsors and spectators, the venue that lies about 76km from Kajiado Town on the Magadi-Amboseli wildlife migratory corridor, remained one of the best kept secrets within the ‘Charge’ organizing community.

Final touches are being made today to the event to be held this weekend, as camp operators, competing vehicles, spectators and event sponsors continue to arrive at the venue in the vast and picturesque Kajiado County, ‘the Home of Diversity’.

It is expected that from today to tomorrow night (Thursday, May 30, 2024), all the competing cars will have arrived at the venue ahead of scrutineering (vehicle inspection) that will take place the day after (Friday May 31, 2024).

The Rhino Charge is not only a world renowned 4×4 off-road competition, but also, one of the few sport events run with a national environmental conservation purpose. It is conducted to support the safeguarding of the integrity and ecological functions of Kenya’s mountain forests, also known as water towers, as they are the source of all main rivers in the country.

Indeed, since its conception in 1989, the Rhino Charge has raised a staggering amount of over KES 2.1 billion towards the conservation of Mount Kenya, the Aberdares, South Western Mau and Mount Eburu in the Mau Forests Complex, as well as Kakamega Forest. Whilst the first Rhino Charge raised only KES 250,000, this amount has increased tremendously over the years to cross the KES 180 million mark in 2018, thanks to supporters locally and internationally.

The annual event has re-bounded with remarkable vigour in the last three years after the first ever-cancelation in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Last year’s event in Nkoteyia-Samburu, raised KES 173 million that has been instrumental in maintaining the 760 kilometres of conservation fences built to date, as well as in constructing an additional 30 kilometres of the Mt. Kenya Electric Fence and continuing the new fencing and conservation project in Kakamega Forest.

Amounts raised by the Rhino Charge in 2021 (Sabon-Baringo) and 2022 (Mosiro-Kajiado) were KES 141 and KES 156 million, respectively.

Projects funded thanks to the Rhino Charge funds include the construction of the world longest game-proof fences, such as the 450 km Mount Kenya Electric Fence, of which 300 km have been built to date.  The funds have also been used in the maintenance of the completed 400 km Aberdare Electric Fence and 43.3 km perimeter electric fence around Mount Eburu, as well as for the ongoing fence construction in Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya, of which Phase I (15 km) has been completed.

In addition to the funds raised by the competitors, the proceeds from the vehicle entry fee (also known as Landowners Access Fee) paid by all vehicles entering the venue, will go towards supporting host community projects. Usually, such projects have included the building of schools or health infrastructure, water tanks, and strengthening security. In the recent past, KES 5.2 million and KES 5.3 million were given to the host communities in Mosiro (Kajiado County) and Nkoteyia (Samburu County), respectively.

Besides the direct cash contribution derived from the Landowners Access Fee, the Rhino Charge provides short-term employment opportunities to the local communities who get engaged in the preparation of the venue, as well as in supporting the running of the event.  The Charge also helps to profile the tourism and conservation potentials of the host area. This year’s host, the 21,292-kilometre-square Kajiado County, is Kenya’s southern gem with Amboseli National Park, Magadi Soda Lake, Shompole and Selenkei conservancies, Olorgesailie Prehistoric Site, scenic Ngong Hills which hosts the final resting place of Denys Finch Hatton famously portrayed in Out of Africa movie, and Namanga Hills. Kajiado is home to the world’s longest studied elephants in the greater Amboseli landscape. This is not to mention immersive cultural experiences with the Maasai to learn about their traditional lifestyles, customs and craft.  The Northern part of Kajiado also provides a residential haven for Nairobi’s workforce.

This year’s Rhino Charge main events are as follows:
•   Friday, 31st May – Scrutineering (inspection of the Competing Cars)
•   Saturday, 1st June – Rhino Charge
•   Sunday, 2nd June – Prize-giving

The organisation of the Rhino Charge is supported through in-kind contribution from the private sector, including some of Kenya’s largest corporations, such as Total Energies, Safaricom, AutoXpress, Tarpo, White Cap, Castor Vali, Rotor Jet Aviation, Z Boskovic Air Charters, Sandstorm, Mantech Inflight Systems, Aquamist, The Iceman, Tropical Heat, Papyrus, Northscape, Rivercross Tracking Ltd, Instarect, Chloride Exide, Bins to name a few. Their contribution has enabled the reduction of the cost of the event to less than 15% of the total funds raised.

Kindly note that general information about the Rhino Charge is available online on the Rhino Charge website www.rhinocharge.co.ke

The digital channels of the Rhino Charge and Rhino Ark are: