#RhinoCharge2024 – All set for scrutineering

(Posted 30th May 2024)

A total of 54 Rhino Charge cars are expected to undergo scrutineering (vehicle inspection to ensure compliance with rules of the event) from tomorrow morning till dusk ahead of the competition scheduled for Saturday at Torosei in Kajiado County.

This includes 6 new entrants in the race that promises to live up to its billing as one of the world’s toughest off-road competition.

Since morning today, competing cars are being registered to take part in Kenya’s unique off-road competition that raises funds for environmental conservation work.

Kajiado County has the honour of being the pacesetter for Rhino Charge having hosted the first one ever in 1989. In the event’s 35-year history, the county has hosted competition, including Suswa (1989), Magadi (1990), L’rogoswa (2004), Londuroj (2010), Nyokie (2013), Mosiro (2022) and this years in Torosei.

The current venue lies at the heart of lakes Magadi-Natron landscape in the critical wildlife migratory corridor in the vast and picturesque Kajiado County, ‘the land of diversity’.

At the same time, about 4102 people had been registered on an online ticketing portal by the end of the Friday, May 24, 2024 deadline to attend the event that’s one of the few to run with a national conservation purpose.  Compared to the 3750 people who attended last year’s Charge in Nkoteyia, this shows a steady increase in the event’s popularity.

Every year, the Rhino Charge Organising Committee receives requests from various communities interested in hosting the world renowned 4×4 off-road competition.

Factors considered in selecting a host conservancy include willingness of the host community, terrain diversity, low human settlement density and appropriate landscape. This year, the Torosei community, which lives in Kenya’s southern landscape bordering Tanzania, was selected for ticking most boxes on the set criteria. Although Torosei has a huge potential as a wildlife tourist destination, little is known about it outside the county. Therefore, the hosting of the Rhino Charge not only boosts the area’s visibility to investors and tourists but also inspires the community to appreciate  and leverage the value of their heritage.

During the preparations of the Rhino Charge the event organisers hired local workers to assist in setting up the venue infrastructure, hence providing income generating activities. This gave the Torosei community a tremendous boost, as jobs and income generating activities are scarce in remote areas in which the Rhino Charge takes place.

In addition, Torosei will benefit from the Land Access Fees to implement a community project of their choice such as the construction of school classrooms or the installation of boreholes. Since its inception in 1989, the Rhino Charge has donated over KES 70.7 million to the various host communities.

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

Kindly note that general information about the Rhino Charge is available online on the Rhino Charge website www.rhinocharge.co.ke. Digital contents about the Charge and Rhino Ark can be accessed at: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/17zpkaom5x6WlMP7nDbIN2a86u3Sub1_l

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