The Rhino Charge is not only a world-renowned 4×4 off-road competition but also one of the few sporting events dedicated to national conservation.
This year, Kajiado County will host the 35th edition of the Rhino Charge during the Madaraka Day weekend.
Don White, the event’s Clerk of Course, announced this on Wednesday during a pre-event briefing at the Braeburn School in Nairobi.
The briefing was attended by competitor teams, checkpoint officers, officials, sponsors, camp operators, and families.
Highlights of the event included an update on Rhino Ark activities by Executive Director Christian Lambrechts, briefed by Don, who shared the starting location of the 2024 Rhino Charge route notes and provided information to checkpoint officials and sponsors.
The much-anticipated route notes, which remain secret, will be released to competing cars, sponsors, and spectators only a few days before the event.
Lambrechts also detailed Rhino Ark’s activities over the past year, focusing on key areas such as Mt. Kenya, Mau Eburu, Aberdares, South Western Mau, and Kakamega Forest.
Last year, the Nkoteyia Community Conservancy in Samburu County hosted the 34th Rhino Charge, raising Ksh 173 million.
These funds were used for the Mt. Kenya Electric Fence, the Kakamega Forest electric fence, and maintaining the 758 kilometres of electric fence in the Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, Eburu, and Kakamega, among other projects.
Since its inception in 1989, the Rhino Charge has raised nearly Ksh 2.1 billion for the conservation of Kenya’s mountain forests, which are crucial as water towers.
Initially, the event raised Ksh 250,000, but this amount has increased significantly, surpassing Ksh 180 million in 2018 thanks to local and international support.
Projects funded include the world’s longest game-proof fences, such as the ongoing construction of the 450 km Mount Kenya Electric Fence, with 300 km completed 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 construction for the fencing of Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya.
This year’s Rhino Charge events are scheduled as follows:
- Friday, 31st May: Scrutineering (inspection of competing cars)
- Saturday, 1st June: Rhino Charge
- Sunday, 2nd June: Prize-giving
The organisation of the Rhino Charge is supported through in-kind contributions 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 per cent of the total funds raised.
