| This year’s Rhino Charge held on Saturday (June 3, 2023) at the scenic Nkoteyia Community Conservancy in Samburu County, raised an impressive KES 173 million for conservation work.
The 2023 Rhino Charge overall winner was Mark Glen (Team 48), followed by Sean Avery – Bundu Fundi (Car 38) while the third position was Graham McKittrick (Team 5).
This year, 52 out of a maximum total of 65 potential competitors took part in the weekend charge, with 14 prematurely pulling out of the competition due to a variety of reasons, including mechanical failure.
Prizes were awarded on Sunday morning at a colourful ceremony held at the Charge venue presided over by President William Ruto, who congratulated the Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust for its conservation work and the Rhino Charge competitors and their sponsors for impressive fundraising efforts in the last 35 years.
The President reiterated the government’s commitment to conserving the water towers in the country, including the Mau, and pledged to match shilling for shilling in an endowment fund arrangement proposed by Rhino Ark Chairman Peter Kinyua.
Addressing the Chargers and their sponsors, President Ruto said: “Your partnership in fencing off some of our very important assets around our water towers is something that we are eternally grateful. What you have done in Mt Kenya, what you are doing in Aberdare, what you have started in Kakamega and shortly we will work together in fencing off the Mau as well.”
The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to climate change, environmental conservation and the carbon credit market.
The prize giving ceremony was also attended by the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt and Samburu Governor Jonathan Lati Leleliit, among other dignitaries.
Mr. Kinyua proposed an endowment fund to sustain the conservation work Rhino Ark implements in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service as well as other organisations: “An endowment fund for Rhino Ark created with some government institutions would help sustain the fences built over the past 34 years” he said.
Rhino Ark executive director Christian Lambrechts announced a new partnership that had been agreed upon between Rhino Ark and Safaricom’s MPESA Foundation to support the conservation and fencing of Kakamega Forest. He said an initial donation of KES60 million will be made this financial year. With the first phase of 15 kilometres nearly completed with support from UNDP, the donation of MPESA Foundation is timely to start the construction of the following fence phases.
At the same time, the local Nkoteyia community received a total of KES 5,317,000 for hosting the annual event from motorists accessing the venue as Land Access Fee. The community will identify a priority public project and work with the Rhino Charge Organising Committee to its completion. President Ruto donated a further KES 2 million to the kitty, bringing the total community figure raised to KES 7,317,000.
This year’s highest individual fundraiser crown was taken by Adil Khawaja – AK 44 (Car 44), who set a new record of KES 60,366,403 followed by Peter Kinyua (Car 23) who secured KES 10,373,085 while in the third place was Tim Carstens – Aussie Rules (Car 63), who raised KES 8,845,492.
Stanley Kinyanjui of Car 62 (Magnate Chargers) was in fourth position with KES 8,278,346 while Graham McKittrick (Team 5) had KES 6,869,523 at position five.
Graham McKittrick Car No. 5 (Team 5) scooped the Victor Ludorum award, which rewards winners for distance and funds raised, followed by Mark Glen’s Car No. 48 (Team 48) and Sean Avery’s Car No. 38 (Bundu Fundi) in second and third positions, respectively. Veteran rally driver Ian Duncan’s Car No. 2 (KTM Cruisers) was in position four.
The Modified Class Category was won by Car No. 60 entered by Ajitesh Kapoor (Mbuzi Bandits), followed by Car No. 40 entered by Peter Francombe (Roving Rogues) and Jonathan Somen’s Car No. 21 (King 21) in second and third places, respectively.
Under the Unmodified Class, Car No. 9 entered by John Bowden (Gumtree 4×4) was ranked top for the third year running, followed by Car No. 35 entered by Mark Tilbury (Hog Charge Team) and Car No. 19 registered by Petra Somen (Bush Babes) in second and third positions (for the third year running), respectively.
For the Tiger Line category between Slater and Flower Watch, Car No. 33 whose entrant was Jeremy Holley (Team Huzi) emerged tops followed by Graham McKittrick Car No. 5 (Team 5) and Mahesh Bhatti’s Car No. 7 (Low Rangers).
In the Gauntlet award, Gray Cullen’s Car 22 (The Smiling Shenzis) were tops followed by Dominic Rebelo’s Car 51 (Deranged Rover) and Car 33 entered by Jeremy Holley (Team Huzi).
For the Tiger Line between Ocean Agriculture and Sandstorm, the winner was Gray Cullen’s The Smiling Shenzis in Car 22, followed by John Bowden’s GumTree 4*4 in Car 9 and Team 42 entered by Antony Havelock (Car 42) in second and third places respectively.
In the overall Super Modified Class, Mark Glen with Car 48 (Team 48) emerged tops followed by Sean Avery’s Bundi Fundi (Car 38) and Team 5 entered by Graham McKittrick in Car No. 5
Full results of the 2023 Rhino Charge are available at http://rhinocharge.co.ke/results/
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